Victoria Everleigh
Episode 181
18 JULY 2022
She is a highly accomplished figure skater, including being a U.S. Figure Skating Quadruple Gold Medalist. She has been both a national and international competitor in her sport, finishing Top 10 at the 2014 US National Solo Dance Championships, one year after having been US National Champion, Senior Theatre on Ice. She was also the 2013 Nation’s Cup (World Championships) Silver Medalist, Senior Theatre on Ice and the 2012 US National Bronze Medalist, Senior Theatre on Ice. She has even performed at Central Park as well as in the US Synchronized Championship Opening Ceremonies. On the faith side she is a Catholic novelist with two books out and another coming in September. Plus, she has written for multiple Catholic publications, including America magazine, among others.
Notable guest quotes:
“I grew up in a Catholic family… So, it was pretty much the only thing that I knew, and I feel very blessed that I grew up in a family that took us to church every week, and, by the grace of God, I grew up with the belief that this was super important. This was going to be a lifelong thing and I’m so grateful for that.”
“I did go to a Catholic high school called Immaculate High School in Danbury, Connecticut.”
“At that time in my life I was really wrapped up in this idea that I had to be perfect to be loved and so that permeated my athletics and my academics.”
“Those moments before you’re competing or performing and your name is called and you have that time to get to your opening position absolutely are, they’re quiet… and that can be an amazing moment for prayer. (During) practice I absolutely believe that conversation with God can be part of that.”
“…33 days of different passages that you’re reading and at the end you consecrate yourself to Mary and there’s a prayer, and, I have done that twice.”
“I remember January 1st, I think it was 2017… it’s (a) holy day of obligation related to Mary [Solemnity of Mary]… The homily, the priest was saying to really get to know Mary that year… Up until that homily I had never made it a priority or really thought about getting to know Mary and I feel like that homily just really kickstarted things for me and got me interested and was ultimately an invitation and I’m so glad that I was there to receive that.”
“I will usually try to find some sort of retreat to go on, whether it’s either directed or silent.”
“It sort of felt like my faith life and my skating life converged in that moment.”
“I feel like that actually helped me so much to realize that my identity wasn’t in sport… Our love for sports is a good thing. It can be a way to glorify God. But, I realized through the time that I was off the ice, that there is more to this life and that my value as a person really didn’t come from my results.”
Related link:
