Q: What was it like to be at the 2010 Olympics?
A: It was a blessing to be there to support Evan. I have watched him grow as a person and a skater and I might be biased, but he deserves every minute of that gold medal because he is one of, if not the hardest working athlete at the games. He has put so much into following his dream and to be able to watch every minute of that training pay off was unbelievable.
Q: Describe the emotion and intensity while you and Evan's family watched him perform.
A: Well, before the short program, my two cousins (Evan's sisters) and I were nervous wrecks. But he skated very well in the short program and we were proud of his performance. Before the free skate, I was so nervous I actually started crying a few minutes before Evan went on the ice! There is an unbelievable amount of pressure on the athletes that definitely radiates into the crowd, fans and especially family.
Q: Did you get to meet Vera Wang, the designer of Evan's costume?
A: I did get to meet Vera! She was fabulous, of course. It has been so sweet of her to take Evan under her wing and design his costumes this season. Evan and Vera met a while back, but reconnected at the World Championships in March of 2009. Vera was actually a figure skater herself and once she and Evan hit it off and were eager to work together. She started designing for a man for the first time in her fashion career. They spent a lot of time on the ice perfecting his costumes for the Olympics and now are great friends. Vera and I actually chatted about a beautiful bracelet that she wears when Evan competes. The bracelet is a snake that wraps around her arm a few times and it matches Evan's free skate costume, so she wears it for good luck!
Q: What was it like traveling in Vancouver, surrounded by so many ethnicities?
A: It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I have traveled overseas before, but what was so interesting about this trip was that there were people from all over the world coming together to celebrate and enjoy the same thing, and that doesn't happen too often. The city is gorgeous and there was a definite "Olympic" feeling in the air. It's hard for me to put into words what that feeling was like and it's what made the experience so unique.
Q: Do you know what kind of commitments the family had to give up in order support Evan during his figure skating career?
A: Besides the emotional stress and financial sacrifices, I would say the main thing is family time was sacrificed with Evan's strict training and competition schedule. According to my aunt, a lot revolved around Evan's schedule. His sisters, Laura and Christina, both played sports as well, and it was a challenge to jungle everyone's activities. There was a rule in their house that no matter what time everyone got home, they would always eat dinner together as a family. It can be tough to coordinate our larger family get-togethers, but we still manage to!
Q: Do you get to see Evan and his family very often?
A: When we were all younger, our two families would get together as often as possible. As Evan's schedule became more and more hectic, it has been harder for him to make it for holidays, but we still make it work! Even if not everyone can get together, we still see at least parts of the family once or twice a year.
Q: Were you all expecting Evan to win the gold medal?
A: We were hoping that he would end up on the podium, but we were not expecting a certain result. Our main hope was for him to remain injury-free and no matter what the results, him be happy with his performance. There are a few of us who are very superstitious, including Evan, and even talking about what the results might be was a nono! There was a huge celebration at the USA House in downtown Vancouver the night he won and it was fun to celebrate his accomplishment and let the stress of the week fall away.
Q: Do you know how long Evan has been training for the Olympics?
A: Since he started skating. Honestly! When he was about 10 years old he told my grandmother that one day he was going to win a gold medal at the Olympics and once he did, he would pick her up in a limousine and take her to the nicest restaurant in town! It was such a blessing to see that dream lived out in Vancouver.
Q: Did you and your family have any funny or embarrassing moments while in Vancouver?
A: NBC apparently showed us jumping up and down and screaming after Evan skated his short program. I got a few text messages saying "You just looked ridiculous on TV!".
Q: What was your favorite part about attending the Olympics?
A: My cousin won a gold medal! It's so strange to think that everyone across the States is watching the USA medal count go up and to actually be able to say that my cousin contributed with a gold medal is surreal. I am so proud of him!
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