Beckingham skates the next step
Ben Jhoty, Canberra Times
30th January 1997

When Canberra ice skater Stuart Beckingham falls over during a routine these days, he knows how to deal with it.

He knows how to block the mistake out and prevent it from affecting the rest of his performance, and he knows how to focus on his next move.

At 15, Beckingham is beginning to master the mental demands of ice skating, although it has not always been the case.

"I used to just fall apart," he said. "If I fell over early in my routine it would get to me and I would start making mistakes and ruin the rest of my performance.

"Now if I fall I have the ability to go on and maintain my focus."

The transformation has come this summer as Beckingham and his coach Sally Patton have worked on developing his psychological skills with the ACT Academy of Sport's Gaylene Clews.

"Gaylene's worked with me on strategies for blocking out errors and not thinking about the end result," he said.

While he might not be thinking about it, his end results of late have been particularly good.

At the recent Iceworld Summer Trophy in Brisbane, Beckingham won the short and free-skating programs in the junior men's division.

In both performances Beckingham said he was not thinking about where he finished.

"I felt I didn't have to skate against anyone else," he said. "I have my routine set up in stages and I just concentrate on one stage at a time.

"I wasn't worried whether I finished first or last."

Beckingham has been skating for eight years and loves the challenge of competition.

While he enjoys training, he admitted it was hard to motivate himself for 6.30am sessions and 16 hours training a week.

"It's hard but you look to the future and hope it's all going to pay off," he said.

Patton said his dedication to training was outstanding and one of the main reasons behind his recent success.

"Stuart never misses a training session and he always gives his best effort," she said.

Beckingham has been awarded an ACT Academy of Sport Scholarship and is currently working with a choreographer on a routine he will take to the national championships in August.

His goal is to finish in the top three and to compete internationally in junior competitions in Europe this year.