July 2023 in Turin

Hello,

So, here we are.

It's now been a month since we arrived in Turin. A lot has changed for us over the past month: the weather, the sports complex, the schedule, our teammates, the coaches. We've been fortunate to be supported by an exceptional team of instructors, both professionally and personally.

Let's start with Sara and Kirill. It was the first time we'd met them. It was literally love at first sight. Sara, a little bundle of love, and Kiril, an incredible force. We worked on our freestyle with Sara during the first part of the camp, as well as on the morning group warm-ups, which were led by a different coach each day. Their presence did us a lot of good. Having such inspiring skaters found a skating school together in Europe, with so much love and respect for their sport and its protagonists, is what a joy... We keep a little hope for our sport when we meet people like you 🖤.

The skaters training in Madrid with Sara and Kirill were also with us during these four weeks: Sofia & Asaf, Paulina & Dev, Philomène & Raul, and Elena & Antonio.

We already knew the first three couples listed, including Sofia, Paulina & Dev, and Philomène & Raul, with whom we've trained in the past. Asaf, whom we know from competitions, and we met and got to know Elena and Antonio, the only junior couple this July in Turin.

These four couples really brought a breath of fresh air to the city, haha. It was a pleasure to share the ice, the office, and the outings with them. Lots of work, lots of laughter, lots of joy, and above all, lots of shaaaaade!

We are super proud of you all and wish you the best for the future. We hope you thrive and find your inner joy through this adventure that is skating.

We're continuing the Latin wave with the Italians and Slovaks coached by Luca Lanotte in Milan. Luca did our short program in April. We had time to work with him on our RD to make it even better. It's a real pleasure working with Luca. This coach has the power to create an indescribably healthy environment around us when we work together. We could work with him every day... Luca came with Victoria & Carlo, an Italian couple, and Sofia & Nikkita, a Slovak couple. We met Victoria & Carlo last summer during our training camp in Lyon and we met Sofia & Nikkita again in April while we were putting together our short program in Milan. Unlike the Spaniards, they will stay with us until the end of the camp in mid-August. They are very inspiring skaters, both technically and artistically.

Then, of course, we met up with our usual Helsinki team, Yuka & Juho, Juulia & Matthias, and Sherim & Chelsea, as well as our coach Maurizio Margaglio. We were super happy to be able to see Sherim & Chelsea again, whom we hadn't seen for several months, and it was obviously with joy that we were reunited with our Finns, Yuka & Juho and Juulia & Matthias, who have been (almost) part of our daily lives for the past two years.

We welcomed Isabelle Delobel (2008 World Champion) during the second week. From freestyle to RD, including warm-ups, Isabelle gave us a different perspective and advice that we will be able to develop during the rest of the season. We had the opportunity to work with Isabelle in 2019 and 2020 when we were still in Lyon, and we're delighted to have been able to repeat the experience three years later. Yes, three years later... time flies!!!

Emanuele taught ballet and modern dance classes three times a week, classes filled with interaction and joy, and Mirco took care of physical preparation and balance. It was much needed, hahahah.

We also had a wonderful and unexpected encounter with Giuliano Maurel. Giuliano is the photographer who took the last sepia-toned portraits we posted on our social media. Thank you for your kindness and professionalism. More photos are on the way...

To sum up, it was a wonderful July, with no regrets and a heart full of stars. Thank you all, thank you to Maurizio for all the organization, thank you to the CUS of Torino for welcoming us, thank you to all the coaches, all the skaters, and all the parents and supporters without whom none of this would be possible. We love you.

August will surely also hold plenty of surprises with the arrival of Neil Brown, our junior pairs from Finland Emma & Oskari, and the fast-approaching arrival of the 2023 national tests in Lyon.

Stay tuned for new adventures!!
Natacha & Arnaud