Emma Trent, 16, knows how to keep herself busy.
A junior at North Callaway High School, the svelte blonde juggles playing clarinet for both the marching band and the jazz band, maintaining her honor roll status, practicing piano and thinking about college.
The vast majority of her time, however, isn’t spent practicing formations on the field or languishing behind a textbook, but rather, is spent on the rollerskating rink.
“I practice six days a week,” Emma says. “During the week, practice goes from after school to 7 or 7:30 p.m. On the weekend, I’ll practice from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday.”
The crammed schedule is more of a source of normalcy than a stress for the competitive figure skater. Emma has found the time to win four first-place national placements and four first- and second-place national placements in the past four years.
She has also found the time to qualify in figures skating for the 2011 World Championship, the equivalent of the Olympic level, in Brasilia, Brazil.
“Most people, when they go into the Junior World and skate for the first time, take two to three years before they get to the top,” coach John Peck says. “Emma got third place the first year of skating. We thought that was the best thing ever.”
Emma’s third place status, which was achieved in July at the National Artistic Roller Skating Competition in Fort Wayne, Ind., initially did not qualify her for the World Championship.
Only the top two skaters qualify for the competition. She was bumped up a ranking after the second-place skater dropped due to a scheduling conflict.
“I heard the news in late September,” Emma says. “I got a phone call from my coach telling me the news. I was completely shocked. It was crazy news to me. I couldn’t believe it.”
The achievement came as no shock to her coach and her mother, Lisa Trent.
“I think that people are competitive or not and she is very competitive,” Lisa says. “Her first year she came in last at Nationals, but she was so mad that she was determined to change it. Once she saw what it looked like, as far as competing, she was compelled to do that. I’m not surprised at where she is now.”
Emma’s division, Junior World Class, will include competitors ranging in age from 12 to 18 from 24 countries. The technically challenging category, figures, involves moving forward and backward while tracing lines on the floor with one foot.
Deductions are made from a base score of 100 as mistakes are made.
“Figures is actually the most challenging thing in roller skating because it takes such discipline,” Peck says. “You have to be able to trace the line with good body posture, have the right-sized turns and the right directional turns. It’s the most difficult because of the concentration.”
Practices, as well as weekly car trips to train with Peck in Lynwood, Ill., have become more frequent as the Nov. 11 departure nears.
Fundraising attempts have also intensified due to the financial strain of the sport. The cost of a pair of skates hovers around $1,500, and a skating dress tops $800. Travel fees for Emma, her parents and coach range from $10,000 to $12,000.
A banquet was held Tuesday to alleviate the monetary burden.
“Everybody in her school and community has been very supportive,” Peck says. “A lot of people came out to the banquet. She skated and showed everyone what she has been doing. It cost $20 to attend. It’s wonderful to see the support that comes from people in Columbia.”
In addition to the outpouring of support from friends, the school and the community, family support has remained constant.
“She takes charge of her nerves,” Lisa says. “She can step up and skate like I’ve never seen anyone else do. She’s got a real focus and commitment. It’s not about winning. It’s about skating her best. She is quite an amazing person. I’m really proud of her.”
