Me at three months old
My preschool picture,
three years old
My first ice skating competition
was held at Arctic Blades Arena
in Paramount, California.
I was 12 years old. |
I am a true California girl -- born in Oakland and raised in Southern California.
From the time I was six months old, I was entered in many baby beauty contests
and usually won first or second place. (I think it was my smile!)
My mother knew I had something
special and enrolled me in modeling classes when I was four. I loved performing!
I remember wearing a pair of white boots and lip synching to These Boots Are
Made For Walking by Nancy Sinatra...when I was 3 years old! I loved showing
off in front of anyone -- my family, friends, even my babysitters. I knew every
word to my favorite show tunes and entertained people for hours.
As a child, I was up every
morning at 4 a.m. for ice skating practice. I was a competitive skater with golden
dreams of Olympic glory. I was always all legs, but they served me well. In every
competition I entered, I always placed in the top three. I traveled all over and
got to know so many wonderful people. It was a great experience and taught me
to really take care of my body. Right from the start, I was athletic and very
competitive. But after winning some competitions, my big Olympic dreams waned
with age. I attended a private school up until eighth grade, and then experienced
a significant change when I began my first year at Leuzinger High School. My parents
divorced right before I entered freshman year, and I went to live with my dad.
Moving was a radical switch for me, because I had to attend a different school
and cultivate new friendships. I had been under strict guidance as a kid, so I
was a bit introverted when I got to high school. Even though I was reserved, I
became involved in various activities such as track and field, student council,
cheerleading (the squad eventually gave an award for best legs) and dance. I loved
dance because I had taken ballet and jump classes in addition to my ice skating
lessons as a kid. Since I had to incorporate the two into my ice skating routines,
it was just natural for me to enroll in a dance group.
See
more of my childhood photos
|
|
 |
NEXT
PAGE>>
