Midori Hopkins

Winter 2022-2023

Level: Senior Ladies

Home Rink: Ice Den Chandler, Chandler, AZ

Q: How long have you been skating?

A: I’ve been skating for 13 years competing for 9

Q: When and why did you start skating?

A: I saw skating on TV when I was younger because my mom really enjoyed watching it. I had asked since I was about 3 years old but my mom didn’t let me start until I was 5.

Q: What do you like most about skating?

A: I think my favorite part about skating is jumps and spins. I love seeing how much I’ve improved from the year before, or even small improvements from month to month.

Q: What is/are your favorite element(s) in skating?

A: My favorite element is probably my footwork in my freeskate program. My footwork when I compete is far from perfect, and it is a very tiring element, but I love how it is a section of my program where I can really show my connection to the music and I think the way it’s choreographed is very fun, despite its difficulties.

Q: How does skating help you in your daily life?

A: Skating taught me perseverance from a very young age and that has helped me through hardships with school and my personal life too. Skating has been a constant in my life for about as long as I can remember, so mentally it was a great way to express my creativity to help with stress, and to be an escape from whatever is going on in my life. Also, physically it was a consistent way for me to stay active while still having fun.

Q: What were your favorite skating career moments?

A: I got to go to National Showcase 2019 and do one of my favorite showcase programs, Phantom of the Opera. It was a great bonding experience with other skaters my age and being able to skate in a national competition before graduation high school was a great opportunity.