When 15-year-old Maeva Chapman takes the ice to compete within the Nationwide Solo Dance Closing in Chicago this month, she’ll be excelling on the highest echelon of competitors in her sport. Not solely that, she’ll be the primary athlete from Goleta’s Ice in Paradise to succeed in this stage.
“I’m actually proud that every one the countless hours of onerous work I put into that is paying off,” stated Maeva, who started skating at Ice in Paradise when the rink opened in Goleta eight years in the past. She first realized skate at age 3, when her household lived in France, then at age 6 she started going to the rink in Oxnard, earlier than S.B. County had a rink of its personal. At present ranked second in Juvenile Mixed Solo Dance and third in Bronze Solo Dance within the Pacific Division, Maeva — whose father is a third-generation natural farmer and grandson of Fairview Gardens founders — is each a freestyle skater and an ice dancer and can compete September 14-17 to attempt to deliver residence some medals residence to Santa Barbara.
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She accomplished her freshman yr at Dos Pueblos however is at the moment being homeschooled so as to give attention to ice skating, a sport her mom Nadia Chapman additionally excels in. Maeva’s primary ice dancing coach is Yaroslava Nechaeva, who is predicated in Ann Arbor, Michigan and has a observe document of working with Olympic and World Determine Skating opponents like Evan Bates. Maeva and “Yasa” labored collectively over the summer time in each California and Michigan to organize for this competitors. Her program will embody a free dance to the James Bond tune “Tomorrow By no means Dies,” sung by Sheryl Crow, and he or she’ll additionally carry out a “Willow Waltz” and two variations of “Hickory Hoedown.”
“I wished to congratulate Maeva for qualifying for the Nationwide Solo Dance Finals. It’s been very inspiring for me to be working with Maeva,” stated Nechaeva. “I like the drive that comes from Maeva. The truth that she units a aim and follows her desires by working onerous and never getting distracted is such an important instance of what may very well be achieved when you set your thoughts on one thing.”
She added, “The household assist is shifting Nadia, you’re making all of it doable for Maeva and by setting a really sturdy work ethic instance. I’m grateful for the chance to be a small a part of this wonderful success story. Thanks for the chance and good luck to the workforce at Nationals Solo Dance Finals.”
Maeva at the moment trains six days every week at Ice in Paradise and likewise takes classes weekly in Simi Valley and Burbank. She’s acquired her supportive mom — who has been a Determine Skating Coach for over 25 years and at the moment teaches different college students six days every week in Goleta — there to drive her backwards and forwards.
