Will Meryl and Charlie Compete Again
Closing the competitive door afterward capturing the 2014 Olympic ice trip the light fantastic championship with Charlie White opened and so many others for Meryl Davis. The 33-yr-quondam has discovered new ways to soar in life, both within the sport and across, and is embracing each and every opportunity.
When Meryl Davis stepped away from the skating spotlight, she had a saucepan list of ideas she wanted to explore. But as she wound her way through that list, she discovered nil at that place that she could see herself doing for the residue of her life. Even though she was open up to any and all opportunities that might come her way, Davis admitted she found the shift away from the competitive world to be somewhat challenging initially.
Shortly subsequently the 2014 Olympic triumph, Davis and White went head-to-head on the reality television evidence "Dancing with the Stars." Davis skated away with the mirror ball trophy and the hearts of a global audience. Information technology marked the beginning of a new chapter in her life.
Throughout her competitive career, she had pursued an instruction and last Dec Davis graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in anthropology. "Charlie and I always prided ourselves on having a life exterior of skating —pursuing our education and stuff like that, but I nonetheless institute it very difficult moving away from competition," she recalled. "Non because I wanted to exist competing, only because I just didn't know what I wanted to practise. I spent quite a few years assuasive myself to explore and endeavor new things — to sort of figure out what spoke to me, without overthinking it. I just at present understand the management that I want to take my professional life in, but it took a while.
"Information technology's been a actually interesting transition. Information technology'south not ever been piece of cake, just information technology's something that is actually good, to permit yourself go through to effigy out what'due south next. It's similar skating: You lot move, y'all take a step and you sort of effigy out what's going on, find your balance, adjust and keep going. I recollect that life is like that. Finishing my degree was something that was e'er very of import to me, and I am and then glad to take seen that through."
It has been half-dozen years since Davis and White last competed, and she is now eager to share what she has learned through her own journey with other athletes who are struggling with the transition from sport to real life. "I of the things I would encourage any athlete to remember is that it's OK to not be good at something right away. I think that's a very foreign concept for an Olympian," Davis explained. "Nosotros identify as elite athletes, and we identify so much of our value and our worth on our need to perform at a high level. So, as you movement on and start to explore other areas of life and professional opportunities, this fright of existence inadequate, this fear of not being skilful at something right away, tin can really hold y'all dorsum. Learning to embrace the newness of it all is huge."
Davis besides stresses the importance of being surrounded by a squad of people who can be relied upon to provide guidance when navigating the world outside the competitive arena. "Having a back up system is some other thing that I would encourage athletes to seek out because through sport we take our coaches, our physical therapists, costume designers and a federation that is there for us," she said.
"Of form, there are resource for united states of america equally nosotros move on, only we're really paving our ain path in a different way than any of us have always done in our lives. When you showtime skating at five years former, y'all approach things differently — at that place is sort of only one direction to go in — so having a support team around yous as you are making that transition into your new life is hugely of import."
In 2018, Davis landed a position as an interview host for the Olympic Channel. It is a role that fits her like a glove. "I ended up doing some special features which I wasn't seeking out necessarily, but every bit I went through that competitive season I realized how much I enjoy doing sit-down interviews with skaters," she said. "Peradventure addressing less the skating itself and more their lives, their personalities and what motivates them as athletes and as people is actually really fun for me. It's something that I think that I might want to pursue more than of — really diving in and telling people's stories."
In the short time since Davis took on this job, she has learned many things, one of which is that it is non always easy to become an athlete to open upwardly during an interview. Davis understands it is office of her job to arroyo a story from different angles, but every bit an athlete who has been in the spotlight, she is enlightened of why some might be a little conservative in their responses.
"Charlie and I were always so focused on what was happening on the ice, nosotros e'er felt that whatever we were doing off the ice was either secondary or even sometimes a distraction," she explained. "Looking back at present on interviews when we were competing nosotros were always honest, just we were hesitant to explore our own opinions and ideas outside the world of sport for a diversity of reasons. Outset, nosotros were then into the globe of sport — that bubble was very existent for u.s.a.. When it comes to commenting on politics or on our personal lives and beliefs as people off the ice, that is something not a lot of athletes want to dive in to.
"Equally an athlete, ane of the main goals is to avert distraction and focus on the job at manus, and that comes across when people are doing interviews.That's OK. There are ebbs and flows with one's comfort level with the media, and that comes with knowing yourself. Athletes know themselves so well on the field of play, and sometimes that cocky-identity is then wrapped up in that, information technology is difficult to connect with who you are off the field of play."
Although they formally retired from competitive skating in 2017, Davis and White still perform in shows around the earth. Yet, the logistics are somewhat more challenging these days, given that Davis currently resides in Los Angeles while White withal lives in his native Michigan. Davis, who maintains a business firm in her habitation state, returns to train with White when they are preparing for a testify. "Information technology's a combination of just setting aside the time to get the grooming in and simply being lucky that we take such a long history together," she said. "Nosotros are incredibly fortunate to have been skating together for the past 22 years.
"We've been struck over the last several years by just how in sync we e'er are — whether nosotros are seeing each other often or less and so. Nosotros just feel actually lucky that those more than 20 years really assistance us sort of know what to wait from the other person and know where the other person is on the ice."
Davis said that no affair what she and White are doing, they always maintain contact and bank check in with each other. Though they have talked loosely well-nigh retiring, their dear of skating has not diminished and both experience fortunate that it is notwithstanding such a large function of their lives, both on and off the ice.
"Skating makes us happy and we will keep doing information technology as long as we even so enjoy it — and nosotros however exercise. At some point we will stop, but I don't know when that will be. Charlie and I love skating together and we dearest performing, only we are both also pursuing different interests and dissimilar paths off the ice."
Over the summer, Davis wed her longtime beau, Fedor Andreev, the 1999 Canadian junior champion and the son of her former bus, Marina Zoueva. The newlyweds held two ceremonies — the first in Provence, France, in June, and a second in her parents' backyard in Michigan in late August.
"Fedor and I had ever talked near doing a destination wedding, in Europe specifically. Adventure and travel is such a big part of our lives and nosotros really wanted to share that with our loved ones for our wedding," Davis explained. "A lot of our loved ones had not been out of the land earlier, and then to exist able to keep an adventure and share this really special experience with them abroad was something nosotros were really excited to do.
"A lot of Fedor'southward family unit is however in Russia, and so it worked out that it was closer for them also. I recollect the inspiration really speaks to who we are — we beloved adventure, seeing new places and finding beauty in those places. In southern Europe, I am always particularly fatigued to the culture and the ability to sort of striking break on daily tasks, sit downward at a table, have a repast and simply enjoy fourth dimension with your family. That is what nosotros wanted."
Equally one of her grandmothers was unable to make the trip to France, Davis and Andreev decided to agree a second anniversary for her at habitation. "Nosotros couldn't legally go married in France anyway — I recollect yous have to be a resident at that place for a sure time to get married, then that all worked out," Davis explained. "The wedding in France was very emotional and information technology felt equally if information technology was the culmination of the years of our relationship and our beloved.There were a lot of happy tears.Information technology'south hard to put into words. It was more than emotional in terms of our relationship.
"Our wedding in Michigan with my family unit and my dad'south mom was very emotional in terms of connecting with her. I've always been close with her, and so to have her exist role of that life moment with united states was actually special. It was a very different feeling."
Davis said she and Andreev are enjoying their life in California, though it took some time to accommodate to their new surroundings. "I've always loved Fifty.A., and I've always loved spending time there, but information technology took about a year or more than for me to beloved living at that place. We dearest hiking and nosotros take our domestic dog to the beach every weekend. "At that place is so much that nosotros are trying to embrace — the entrepreneurial spirit and the artistic spirit that are and then prevalent in Los Angeles."
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Source: https://www.ifsmagazine.com/meryl-davis-shines-bright-in-second-act/
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