Skating Attorneys Reach Goals On and Off the Ice
by Bethany Furkin
As a litigation attorney, Gail C. Nall faces judges in the courtroom. But when she's not at work, she sees judges of a different kind in a different venue-an ice skating rink.
Gail C. Nall
Nall, an attorney at Hargadon Lenihan & Herrington, began ice skating when she was three years old. And after a brief hiatus from skating, she returned to the ice about four years ago and now tries to skate at least four times a week and takes lessons with a coach.
Her hobby attracts many comments from her colleagues and was a topic of discussion when she was job searching after law school. But although skating and the law might seem an odd pairing, Nall said her time on the ice translates to her life outside the rink. "It makes you not afraid to do things in front of other people, that's for sure," she said.
That boost of self confidence has also benefited another skating attorney, Jeffrey C. Filcik.
Filcik, vice president and personal trust officer at Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company, said his skating has led him to be more comfortable with taking risks. "Now I'm more enthusiastic about jumping in and seeing what happens," he said.
Jeffery C. Filcik
Like Nall, Filcik also began skating as a child. He quit when he entered high school but picked the sport up again about two years ago, largely inspired by a colleague who earned a black belt at the age of 50. Filcik decided he wanted to get to the silver level in ice dancing by age 50-and he did.
Ice skating has different categories, which then have different skill levels marked by medals. Skaters perform for a panel of judges who decide whether to pass them to the next medal level.
Filcik is involved in ice dancing, which is like ballroom dancing and involves keeping one skate on the ice at all times. Nall is a freestyle skater, which means she does jumps and spins. She is currently skating at the silver level.
Filcik's next goal is to get to the gold medal level in ice dancing by the time he is 55. "Performing in front of the judges can be nerve-racking because of all the time and effort put into preparing for the test," he said. "You work for months and months, and you go around two times and you hope that you pass."
The fact that she can work toward goals makes ice skating an appealing form of exercise for Nall. Instead of running on a treadmill with no real achievement markers, skating provides challenges and variety. "I like the fact that there are goals to reach," she said.
Getting back into skating was a challenge, said Nall, who was inspired to lace up her skates again after watching a competition on television. She had to relearn skills and adjust to the reality of having an older body. But skating has been a great stress reliever and form of exercise-Nall has lost 40 pounds since returning to the ice.
For Filcik, being back on the ice as an adult gives him the chance to help kids who are just starting out in the sport. "I can help them, be their partner for some of the tests that I've already passed," he said. Filcik also volunteers with the Louisville Skating Academy, which offers a therapeutic program for children with disabilities. As an ice dancer, he has also had the chance to perform with children. He has played Clara's father in the academy's production of the "Nutcracker on Ice" and was a curmudgeonly old man in "Footloose" with three boys in a summer fundraiser for the academy.
"It's just been a really wonderful experience. I've really had a great time with it," Filcik said. "It's kind of a safe, healthy midlife crisis that I'm going through."
Bethany Furkin is a freelance writer and reporter for the Presbyterian News Service.
Reprinted with permission from the February 2010 edition of Bar Briefs. A monthly publication of The Louisville Bar Association. Photos provided courtesy of the Louisville Bar Association. For information contact: 502-583-5314 or svaldez@loubar.org.
Contact LSA
Louisville Skating Academy
2211 Homewood Drive
Louisville, KY 40223
Phone (502) 415-0962
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