The duo have made a
smooth transition, high-
lighted by last month's
U.S. Championships.
Their second-place fin-
ish qualified them for
next week's World
Championships.
Silverstein says the
crowd's reaction to
them at the U.S.
nationals "was wonder-
ful. They pay money for
the tickets, so I hope
The skaters
they get entertained. It
practice their moves.
makes me feel great.
You know that
they've really seen you."
She doesn't want to
guess how they'll do at
the Worlds. "I have no
clue, because everyone
is coming together all at
However, "I'm not going to lie and
once," she says. "So even though
say that everything's always hunky-
we've competed against these teams
dory. But it's my choice."
throughout the year, it'll be a big dif-
The Bloomfield Hills Lahser High
ference. The goal basically is just to
School junior "was really adamant
skate our best."
about staying in school. I didn't want
The success of the past two years
to get tutored, in a home-school
hasn't gone to Silverstein's head.
sense.
"There are so many things that we
"I want to keep myself in different
have yet to do," she says. "I don't
social circles, but also, I don't want to
think that I've really stopped to
let anything get too overwhelming. It
think of it as any major success."
was my decision, so I'm not going to
And, she adds, "there's always some-
complain about it. And I have some
one better."
really wonderful teachers."
Indeed, Silverstein and Pekarek
Silverstein takes a reduced class
train at the Detroit Skating Club in
load and will graduate in 2002, a few
Blomfield Hills alongside U.S. ice
months after what might be her first
dance champions Naomi Lang and
Olympics.
Peter Tchernyshev. But the teams are
She calls the 2002 Olympics "our
not rivals.
dream. But it's something I can't real-
"We motivate each other,"
ly conceptualize right now. It's still in
Silverstein explains. "It's really great
that dream-fantasy stage."
to have someone to watch and exam-
A strong performance at the World
ples to follow." Aside from their seri-
Championships might make the
ous competitions, Silverstein and
dream more real. Nevertheless, when
Pekarek enjoy some "special perks."
next week's competition ends,
For example, the pair skated on a
Silverstein plans to briefly take her
float in last year's Thanksgiving Day
mind off skating.
parade in Detroit.
"I think I'm going to treat my mind
"That was so special," Silverstein
to a vacation after Worlds," she says.
says. "I've gotten to do a lot of things
"Our first competition was at the end
that, if I hadn't skated, I probably
of August, so we've had a really long
wouldn't have been able to do. I've
season. I think we might even get a
met so many people and made so
week off. Then, it's a really great time in
many wonderful friends and so many
training for me because we get to create
memories that are so valuable."
new programs and who we're going to
At the same time, her schedule —
be for the next season, decide what
including at least 23 hours per week
story we get to tell ...
of training — and her decision to
"I'm thrilled about Worlds, and
attend public school, leaves little
then we start all over. It's kind of
room for anything other than skating
like a vicious circle. We'll probably
or school work.
do some shows and then we get to
Silverstein says she deals well with
create our next version of our-
her hectic pace on "most days."
selves."

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