Gian-Quen Isaacs is skating to end South Africa's 25-Year Winter Olympic drought
She tells Eyewitness News one of her major takeaways from competing at an international level is that mental readiness is just as critical as physical preparation.
'I saw how athletes from bigger federations prepare meticulously from warm-ups to mental visualisation. I learned to stay focused on my own lane, not get overwhelmed by the prestige of the event, and to trust the training I've done. Another lesson was how important it is to adapt quickly to different rinks, time zones, and environments—being flexible is a skill in itself.'
The 2019 national junior champion has represented South Africa in the 2018 and 2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuits and won the Santa Claus Cup in Basic Novice in Budapest in 2017.
'I stumbled into figure skating almost by accident. I went to watch an ice hockey match with my mom and wanted to play ice hockey. Unfortunately, I've never skated, so I was advised to join a learn to skate club. I remember my mom purchasing my first pair of skates and telling me to at least commit to skating for 1 year. Two weeks in the head coach of the club told my mom I have the potential to be a competitive athlete in figure skating, and the rest is history. He linked us with my coach, who has been my coach since the beginning. South Africa doesn't have a big skating culture, so it started small, but I fell in love with the sport and never looked back.'
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