With the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics just one month away, Plano figure skater Amber Glenn is carrying an inspirational message with her onto the ice: “Believe and Breathe.”\u00a0 The words are printed across a shirt she often wears, a personal mantra that reflects both her mental approach to competition and a lesson learned the hard way.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past, I\u2019d get to competitions and be mid-ice, holding my breath without even realizing it,\u201d Glenn said. \u201cI\u2019d have to catch myself. Something as simple as breathing matters,\u201d Glenn said.<\/p>\n
The belief part, she explained, runs even deeper. Glenn says growing up, her mother would place small signs around her room, each carrying the same message: Believe in yourself. Years later, that encouragement has become a cornerstone of Glenn\u2019s mindset as she prepares for the biggest season of her career.<\/p>\n
Despite the Olympic countdown, Glenn says she\u2019s approached this season much like any other.\u00a0 \u201cKnock on wood, I\u2019m feeling pretty good,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m just keeping the ball rolling, doing my job, and really trying to enjoy the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Olympics, she admitted, are never far from her thoughts. Countdown clocks and constant reminders make sure of that. Still, Glenn says the pressure feels different now.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s bizarre to think how soon it is,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it\u2019s also exhilarating. I know how hard I\u2019ve worked to get here, and knowing I can be in that position has been really comforting.\u201d<\/p>\n
A major factor in that comfort has been her move from North Texas to Colorado Springs, which is now her training base. As Glenn got older, she says the physical demands of elite skating increased\u2014and so did the cost.\u00a0 \u201cOff-ice training, physical therapy, all of that adds up,\u201d she said. \u201cHere, I have access to the Olympic Training Center.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gone are the marathon days Glenn remembers from her childhood, when she would step onto the ice at dawn and skate until late afternoon. At 26, she\u2019s now considered one of the older competitors in the women\u2019s field.<\/p>\n
Today, her schedule balances two to three hours on the ice, six days a week, with extensive physical therapy, neuro training, and strength and conditioning.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not nearly as intense as when I was a kid,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it\u2019s much more intentional.\u201d\u00a0 That approach has paid off, particularly with one of skating\u2019s most difficult jumps: the triple axel.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s feeling amazing,\u201d Glenn said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most satisfying things to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Glenn is also unveiling a new short program this season, set to Madonna\u2019s \u201cLike a Prayer.\u201d She describes it as a perfect blend of what she loves most about skating.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful and graceful at the beginning,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it\u2019s also fun at the end.\u201d\u00a0 The program, she added, highlights the balance between creativity and athleticism\u2014two elements she believes define her skating.<\/p>\n
Off the ice, Glenn has been equally open about her identity, speaking candidly about being an out LGBTQ athlete. For her, that visibility goes beyond personal pride.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a time\u2014not that long ago\u2014when athletes were afraid to come out,\u201d she said. \u201cI was inspired by people who were living their truth and looked so free,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For years, Glenn said she felt pressure to fit a \u201ccookie-cutter princess\u201d image. Embracing her identity publicly changed everything.\u00a0 \u201cI felt like I was lying before,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing able to fully embrace who I am was a huge step.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind Glenn\u2019s success is a family she credits for making it all possible. Her father, who is a Plano police officer, worked overtime hours to afford skating costs. Her mother made her first costumes and worked at the rink. Her sister has been there every step of the way.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a team effort,\u201d Glenn said. \u201cWhen I do well, they\u2019re the first people I call, the first people I look for when I\u2019m getting a medal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even though elite winter sports athletes are rare in North Texas, Glenn knows she has a loyal home following, and she says she feels it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see it online. I see people from my past,\u201d she said, recalling a moment when her first-grade teacher attended a competition in Texas.\u00a0 \u201cThe excitement and exhilaration is more than I\u2019ve ever experienced,\u201d Glenn said. \u201cI\u2019m so grateful for all the Texans who have supported me. I can\u2019t wait to celebrate with you back home.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the Olympics draw closer, Amber Glenn is moving forward with steady confidence\u2014breathing deeply, believing fully, and skating toward the moment she\u2019s spent a lifetime preparing for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics just one month away, Plano figure skater Amber Glenn is carrying an inspirational…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":113754,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[160,162,161],"class_list":{"0":"post-113753","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-plano","8":"tag-plano","9":"tag-plano-headlines","10":"tag-plano-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113753\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}