Delormier skates to silver in Vaudreuil-Dorion

Kaylani Delormier has been figure skating for years at this point, but still, she can occasionally get the pre-event jitters - as was the case before last weekend’s Invitation Vaudreuil-Dorion.

“I’ve done this many times before, but I was nervous. While we were heading out to the arena, I was thinking, ‘I’m going to the competition, I’m scared.’ But my friends were texting me, ‘Don’t be. It’s okay, you’re going to do amazing. You’ll be fine, and we are cheering you on - good luck,’” said Delormier.

“Them saying that really calmed me down.”

But, when she got on the ice, some circumstances made the nerves come back a little: the ice quality was not as good as she was hoping, and the order of the skaters got mixed up – delaying her start.

As soon as she got started, though, the nerves left for good.

“I got over that fear, and I just went to do what I had to do,” said Delormier.

The STAR 2 skater was hoping to do better than the overall bronze medal she received back in early February at the South-West Regionals in Valleyfield - and she did just that, earning an overall silver medal for her performance.

She did not fall on her moves or lose balance, and she found her backspin to be a lot nicer than it was in Valleyfield, for example.

Among her best moves of the day were her loop jump, her flip jump, and her turn sequence, all of which she was proud of.

“Usually when I do my loop, during practices, I mess it up,” said Delormier.

“But surprisingly, at the competition, it was beautiful.”

On the mental side of things, she found that she did not get in her own way.

“I didn’t think like that at all, I just do what I have to do because the only pressure when you’re doing the routine, it’s not the arena, not the judges, not the people watching you, it’s only you. You’re putting that pressure on yourself.”

Delormier’s grandparents, Alan Beauvais and Laurie Delormier, usually are right there in the stands to cheer her on, and that did not change in Vaudreuil.

“We were proud of her,” said Laurie. “I videoed the whole show that she did. Looking back at it, she did amazing.”

Two other Kahnawa’kehró:non STAR 2 skaters - and friends of Kaylani - Promise McGregor and Taylah McComber skated later in the day, with the both of them getting overall bronze medals.

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