Figure skater and San Jose City College student, Robert Przepioski, competed in this year’s United States Winter Olympic Team Trials, but did not make the cut.
Przepioski, 23, business major, attended the Olympic Trials in Boston in mid-January. In a field of roughly 15,000 other athletes, he said he was simply glad to be there.
“I wasn’t worried about the score,” Przepioski said. “I just wanted to be out there on the ice and have a good time.”
Przepioski is not competing in the Winter Olympics in Russia, but he has set some goals for the future of his career.
“Next year I would like to compete in the international field,” Przepioski said.
He started his figure skating career at the age of 14 in 2004. Before he was a figure skater, he competed as a roller skater.
“My mother was a roller skater so I started roller skating,” Przepioski said.
He competed in both singles and pairs competitions, and earned national titles every year from 1999 to 2003.
His partner decided to pursue a career as a figure skater and Przepioski decided to do the same in 2004.
Przepioski follows a rigorous training program that includes a strict diet and training sessions before and after school.
He also consistently arrives 45 minutes early to warm up.
“I train two hours a day, twice a day for six days out of the week,” Przepioski said.
He said his workouts are split into two parts, each focusing on a different aspect of the sport.
“The first hour is for working on jumps and tricks,” Przepioski said. “The second hour is when I train with a coach and work on routines.”
Eating clean is also an important part of his training, and he has eliminated fast food from his diet.
Przepioski works with a nutritionist to stay healthy and be in the best shape possible.
“I think like a rabbit,” Przepioski said. “It’s all veggies, fruit and more veggies.”
He balances school, training and work, which keeps him occupied from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Off the ice, he is taking eight units at SJCC and also teaches skating at Sharks Ice in San Jose. He jokes about what little free time he has.
“We figure skaters don’t sleep,” Przepioski said. “We just take naps.”
