from Shane Gostisbehere at The Players' Tribune,

I used to wake up everyday at 4 a.m. to go to the rink. That’s how dedicated I was when I was seven.

My dad would drive my sister and me through the dark on an empty highway, then I’d get to the rink and do what I loved to do more than anything in the world: I went to sleep.

Let me explain.

My sister, Felicia, is four years older than me. Back then, she was an unreal figure skater. She was going to be an Olympian someday — she was that good. My dad would take us to Incredible Ice — the rink in Coral Springs, Florida — every morning. My mom worked, so I had to tag along if I wanted to get to school. I didn’t want to watch figure skating, though, so I started bringing a sleeping bag. I’d roll it out right in the bleachers, and I’d pass out for a few hours, five rows up from the ice while Felicia trained with her coaches.

continued