TJ Carey is a freshman at Boston University in the College of General Studies Boston-London program. Outside of class, he is an international ice dancing champion after his team competed in France in late April, winning second overall!
How long have you been skating and what got you started?
I’ve been skating for the past 16 years. I got out on the ice when I was only 3 and then I started ice dancing when I was 10 because my older sister was a competitive ice dancer. I became interested in ice-skating because she was doing it. I decided to get involved in some lessons that were offered nearby and I ended up loving it.
What are you currently doing in ice-skating and ice-dancing?
I ice dance for an ice dance team called “Act 1 of Boston” and we are Boston’s junior theater on ice team. Last week, I was with my team in Épinal, France for the Nations’ Cup Theater and Ice Competition. We qualified for the competition last June in Chicago at the National Theater and Ice Competition.
In France, we were one of 12 teams competing at the junior level, with teams from the US, France, Russia, Italy and Spain and other countries in the other levels of the ice dance competition. We finished second place overall and completed two programs that we were super happy and proud of.
Photo Credit: TJ Carey
Carey and his team received second place overall last week in Épinal, France.
What was your main takeaway from this competition? What did you learn from being with your team abroad and meeting other competitors from different countries?
I learned that my teammates and I are capable of a lot. When it seems like we’re not prepared, we can always put in our hardest effort and surprise ourselves. As far as our competitors go, no matter where they live in the world, they’re still normal people with normal lives. Life goes on no matter where we are. I think I learned a lot from other skaters from around the world who were so much like me and in a bunch of other ways, very different from me.
Besides dancing in a team, do you compete individually?
Yes, I also dance with a partner, who is also on my ice dancing team. She and I compete as an ice dancing couple. We have quite a few competitions this summer and we’re both pretty excited.
Photo Credit: TJ Carey
Carey dancing with his former ice dancing partner.
What are your future plans with skating?
I’m still competing with my team and partner over the summer and again in the fall. While I’m not sure exactly how long and what I plan on studying or what kind of job I’ll want to do, I’ve volunteered in the past to help younger skaters learn and it would definitely be cool to coach if that’s possible. It’s all up in the air, but I’m excited.
What do you like most about being on the ice?
I love skating on the ice, interpreting the music, and moving in a way that the music means you to. It is pretty indescribable — there’s nothing else like it.
*Some of the responses have been edited for clarity.
While Carey may not be competing for BU ice skating teams, he plans to continue skating with his team. We wish him the best of luck in all that he does!
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