THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: Bringing the show back to the ice

At a young age, both Jackie Charlebois and Sarah Brookshire were hooked on figure skating.

Then, as life happens, they went away from the ice for an extended period of time.

Both are back now, chasing the same dreams, and bringing a show to boot.

BOTH ADVANCED to the National Figure Skating Competition, which begins Sunday in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

For Charlebois, 43, it was 20 years off the ice before returning.

“I started to skate when I was a teen around the age of 14,” Charlebois said. “I went to a birthday party and was hooked. I skated for about four years and tested all the way up and got into pairs skating. My goal and dream was to be a show skater and travel the world.”

Then, life happened.

“My son got into hockey and I was watching a figure skater practice,” Charlebois said. “Her hair was flying in the wind and I just thought to myself, ‘wow, I miss it.’ I put my skates back on and — mentally you think you’re still the same age when you stopped skating — but your body tells you otherwise.”

For Brookshire, 27, who grew up near the Canadian border, it was travel that ultimately took her from her dreams.

“I started skating when I was really young and living in California,” Brookshire said. “It just kind of stuck with me and was a way of expressing myself. Like Jackie, I’m very introverted as well, so it was exciting for me to get out and push myself to see what my limits were.”

Brookshire met Karin Kunzle-Watson, a nine-time Swiss national champion, who coached her as a youth.

“She spotted the talent in me and told me what I needed to do to take this further,” Brookshire said. “I worked with her for quite a few years and was home-schooled. It was a lot of work and I wanted to take it a lot further, but with the distance and financially, it got too difficult and I quit.”

Brookshire later moved to Post Falls and connected with Kunzle-Watson again.

“It wasn’t until I got married and took my husband skating on dates — and he claimed he enjoyed it — that I got into it again,” Brookshire said. “But after we got married, he said I needed to do it on my own and I ran into Karin again and started up again. Karin welcomed me back with open arms.”

WHILE THE figure skating that you see in the Olympics and other world competitions focus on the technical side of the sport, this is more of the dramatic side and telling a story to the audience.

“It’s a huge competition with 900 skaters,” Charlebois said. “Everything from Broadway, theatre and music smashed into one event.”

Both qualified for the event last year.

“This year I’m doing two different programs,” Charlebois said. “One is a character of a female bullfighter and the other is a dramatic piece of Schindler’s List and telling the story of the fight and death and survival of the Jews.”

Brookshire will perform a piece to “Unchained Melody” from the movie "Ghost" and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

“This is the first time I’ve skated with a prop,” Brookshire said. “It will be fun to show off some new skills. The character piece will bring some things out in myself.”

And while she might not be out there on the ice with them, Kunzle-Watson is behind them 100%.

“Skating did a lot for me and I feel like this is my way of giving back a little bit,” Kunzle-Watson said. “Seeing their enthusiasm and process of getting into a number and picking music and costumes is great. It’s up to me to create a program they can skate to. As much as I love them, once they come out from the curtain, it’s them. I can support them, but it’s their routine. it’s their program, and they’re working hard to earn it.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.