Mirai Nagasu, Star Olympic Skater, Accepts And Surpasses Every Challenge

You can attain victory without it, especially since there is an extremely high probability that if you attempt it, you will absolutely fail.

So why include it in your program?

Don’t do it.

That is the decision that virtually all of the world’s elite female ice skaters have made except for one and who is she?

Mirai Nagasu of Arcadia, California.

Why did Mirai train extensively to include the triple axel in her competition package, the most difficult of the six jumps being done today, even when she didn’t have to?

Maybe she has heard of T. S. Eliot.

Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM was a British essayist, publisher, playwright, literary and social critic, and “one of the twentieth century’s major poets”

He was once quoted as saying, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

Mirai Nagasu has come very, very far with no ceiling in sight.

At nbcolympics.com they educate, “The Axel is the only forward-facing jump in figure skating and is the most difficult of the six jumps being done today.

It was named for its creator, Axel Paulson, who invented the jump in 1882. For a single Axel, the way Paulson did it, a skater takes off from a forward outside edge and rotates one-and-a-half times in the air before landing on the back outside edge on the opposite foot from which they took off.

A double Axel requires two-and-a-half rotations in the air, and a triple Axel three-and-a-half rotations in the air. The base value of the triple Axel is 8.5 points, while a double Axel is worth significantly less at 3.3 points. The Axel is a required element for ladies skating in both the short program and the free skate; almost everyone does a double. But 2010 Olympian Mirai Nagasu decided to try the triple.”

No one has ever attempted the quad Axel, which would require four-and-a-half rotations.

Given time, maybe Mirai might train for that one too.

What would the world be like without risk takers who push themselves beyond their limits and reward us with breathtaking and unique performances never seen before?

Mirai Nagasu is an American figure skater. She is a three-time Four Continents medalist (silver in 2016, bronze in 2011 and 2017), the 2007 JGP Final champion, a two-time World Junior medalist (silver in 2007, bronze in 2008), and a seven-time U.S. national medalist (gold in 2008, silver in 2010 and 2018, bronze in 2011 and 2014, pewter in 2016 and 2017).

Extremely impressive wouldn’t you say?

In 2008, Mirai became the youngest woman since Tara Lipinski in 1997 to win the U.S. senior ladies’ title, and the second-youngest in history. She is the first lady since Joan Tozzer in 1937 and 1938 to win the junior and senior national titles in consecutive years.

Our super star represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics at the age of 16 and placed 4th in the ladies’ event.

Now to come full circle, during her free skate in the team event at the 2018 Olympics, she became the first American female figure skater to land a triple axel at the Olympics, and the third woman from any country to do so.

With risk takers and extremely hard workers like Mirai, anything seems possible.

She comes from great lineage.

Mirai was born in Montebello, Los Angeles County, California and raised in Arcadia, California.

She began skating at age five.

Her parents own Restaurant Kiyosuzu, a Japanese sushi restaurant in Arcadia.

fciwomenswrestling.com, femcompetitor.com article Restaurant Kiyosuzu photo credit via Yelp

As time passes, as much as we will always cherish our past accomplishments, life is about the present and future.

Mirai began the 2017-2018 season at the 2017 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, placing third in the short program and second in the free skate, and winning her the silver medal.

She then competed in the 2017 Japan Open as part of Team North America and came in fourth in personal and third for team.

She also competed at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and won the silver after placing second in both the short program and the free skate.

She, with teammates Bradie Tennell and Karen Chen, were named to the 2018 US Winter Olympic Team for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

It was our wunderkind’s second appearance in the Winter Olympics, after an 8-year absence.

When we think of the village that helped raise Mirai, we are filled with intrigue and awe.

Let’s take a visit.

Arcadia is located about 13 miles north east of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.

The suburb had a population of 56,364 at the 2010 census, up from 53,248 at the 2000 census. It is named after Arcadia, Greece.

Like Mirai, it is elite and impressive.

In 2016, Arcadia was ranked the 5th most expensive housing market in the United States by Business Insider, with an average list of $1,748,680 for a four-bedroom home.

In 2012, Arcadia was ranked 7th in the nation on CNN Money magazine’s list of towns with highest median home costs.

Arcadia’s Upper Rancho neighborhood was ranked the 23rd richest neighborhood in Southern California by Business Insider in 2014, with a mean household income of $310,779.

In 2010, Bloomberg Businessweek named Arcadia as one of the “Best Places to Raise Your Kids” for the second year in a row.

Well, give them credit. Look how they did with Mirai. Wouldn’t you agree that her village did an outstanding job?

fciwomenswrestling.com, femcompetitor.com article, photo via Market Prime News

Skating like the most brilliant diamond on the ice, Mirai’s hometown of Arcadia is often referred to as a jewel among Southern California communities.

The official city site entices us to visit. At arcadiaca.gov they smile, “Arcadia is known for beautiful neighborhoods, warm character and a “community of homes” atmosphere.

The City places great emphasis on preserving “green space” and its commitment to the environment is evidenced by the large population of healthy trees you will find around town. Arcadia has been designated a Tree City USA for seventeen consecutive years. Arcadians take pride in their well-established traditions and high standards.”

We absolutely love Mirai’s high standards.

In celebration of her stellar record breaking performance at nextshark.com they share, “Mirai Nagasu made history at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics on Sunday after becoming the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Games, and her parents decided to commemorate the event by creating an “Olympic Roll” in honor of their daughter clinching Bronze medals for Team USA.”

Sounds tasty. Just like a delicious skating performance.

Part of Mirai’s tremendous success can be attributed to her life philosophy.

In sharing information with figureskatersonline.com, she was quoted as expressing, “My goal is to accept any challenge that life throws me and to become a better person from each experience. Sounds super cheesy, but it’s my honest opinion. I’m going to make mistakes and have success; I hope that under all circumstances, I can come away from everything as a role model and an inspiration.”

Well said.