SANDHURST teenager Adam Bouaziz competed among the world’s best junior ice skating dance couples at the 2020 US Figure Skating Nationals last month.
The former Sandhurst primary school and Frogmore senior school pupil made the brave step to live in America after receiving an enquiry from a from 16-year-old Isabella Flores while searching for a new skating partner.
Adam is now paired with Isabella in Colorado Springs, CO USA, training at the US Olympic Figure Skating centre under the guidance of their Russian coach Elena Dostatni and choreographer Chrisopher Dean.
Having completed his GCSEs, Adam travelled to live in the USA to pursue his dream of competing at figure skating which requires obeying a strict training schedule which sees the pair train five days a week, starting as early as 4.30am.
The newly formed pair placed 13th in the US Figure Skating Championships, which was held at the Greensboro Coliseum, North Carolina. After the Rhythm Dance they placed 12th and after their Free Dance finished with a final placement of 13th.
“I am extraordinarily proud of Adam just feeling brave enough to step onto the plane last June to pursue his dreams,” said his mother, Rhoda.
“We would have loved to keep him much closer to home especially at this age. It was very hard to let him go.
“But at the same time, his courage and determination stepping into the unknown on his own for this fantastic opportunity brought me overwhelming joy and pride that I believe will give him great strength for whatever mountains he chooses to climb in life.”
You can follow Adam’s ice skating journey on social media: