Nina loved the heat of the sun. She liked to be warm but not too warm so she sat under an umbrella and enjoyed the heat from that protected shade. Weather was an issue for Nina, period. She started out as a ballet dancer, but she needed more speed so she became a professional ice skater. The only problem was that she had no affinity with the cold. The hard chill of the ice did not bode well for her moods. On the ice she was a frigid, testy diva. She wanted to leave the sport of ice skating but she was perfection on ice and her anger at being cold fueled the flame of competition. She won many skating championships, but she was resigned to living an unbalanced life.
One day Nina’s trainer suggested that she find a skating partner. She had always been a solo act but coach Reedy was right - she needed to push herself to more challenging feats in the skating arena and having a partner would definitely up her game.
Nina was out to find her partner and she had a long list of attributes that he should possess. The list was long. He must be handsome, tall (but not too tall as Nina was only five three), strong, patient and focused. It went on and on.
She began doing research on the internet and in her search the same name kept popping up “ Charming Graciano “. He was from Portugal and was touted as the best male solo skater ever to rise from the ice skating ranks.
Now all she had to do was to convince him into skating with her. After all, she was a champion and this would be a great partnership. I think the thing that Nina was most intrigued about was Graciano’s moniker - “Charming”. She needed charming. Her demeanor was cold, so someone with a little finesse would be a definite asset. Nina flew to Portugal and took in some sun but most importantly she met the great Graciano and convinced him into a partnership. He was an Adonis on ice!
The partnership was a success, the two were on a winning streak and they were hungry for more!
Charming Graciano with his sleek moves and Nina with her icy precision complemented each other perfectly until one day at a competition in Ontario, Canada. Nina was in a foul mood before the meet. She was back in cold weather and not at all pleased. The two started their routine with grace and style - skimming the slick surface and cutting in with the sharp blades of their skates. The music was Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” and they were cool and chill moving to the gleam of jazz. But as they were getting ready to launch the grand finale move (the difficult “Death Spiral”) Nina’s arm slipped out of Graciano’s grasp and she splayed flat out onto the ice!
Nina was mortified. She was bruised but her ego was broken so she made the decision at that moment to retire from skating and get off the ice for good. Charming Graciano became partners with Nina’s toughest competitor Helga Peters. They both had blond hair and matched in height and looks .
That was it!
Nina moved to New Mexico to live in the sun. She became a senior partner for “Sol”, a solar panel company. Her moods improved and she married coach Reedy. He was fifteen years her senior but he had stuck with her through thick and thin and was not bothered by hers mood swings. Since moving to a warm place she was almost content and when you are as difficult as Nina, contentment is a huge improvement.
Nina finished with skating but still watches competitions on TV. Charming and Helga are still on the circuit to this day winning medals and acting in cameo roles on soap operas.
One day Nina’s trainer suggested that she find a skating partner. She had always been a solo act but coach Reedy was right - she needed to push herself to more challenging feats in the skating arena and having a partner would definitely up her game.
Nina was out to find her partner and she had a long list of attributes that he should possess. The list was long. He must be handsome, tall (but not too tall as Nina was only five three), strong, patient and focused. It went on and on.
She began doing research on the internet and in her search the same name kept popping up “ Charming Graciano “. He was from Portugal and was touted as the best male solo skater ever to rise from the ice skating ranks.
Now all she had to do was to convince him into skating with her. After all, she was a champion and this would be a great partnership. I think the thing that Nina was most intrigued about was Graciano’s moniker - “Charming”. She needed charming. Her demeanor was cold, so someone with a little finesse would be a definite asset. Nina flew to Portugal and took in some sun but most importantly she met the great Graciano and convinced him into a partnership. He was an Adonis on ice!
The partnership was a success, the two were on a winning streak and they were hungry for more!
Charming Graciano with his sleek moves and Nina with her icy precision complemented each other perfectly until one day at a competition in Ontario, Canada. Nina was in a foul mood before the meet. She was back in cold weather and not at all pleased. The two started their routine with grace and style - skimming the slick surface and cutting in with the sharp blades of their skates. The music was Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” and they were cool and chill moving to the gleam of jazz. But as they were getting ready to launch the grand finale move (the difficult “Death Spiral”) Nina’s arm slipped out of Graciano’s grasp and she splayed flat out onto the ice!
Nina was mortified. She was bruised but her ego was broken so she made the decision at that moment to retire from skating and get off the ice for good. Charming Graciano became partners with Nina’s toughest competitor Helga Peters. They both had blond hair and matched in height and looks .
That was it!
Nina moved to New Mexico to live in the sun. She became a senior partner for “Sol”, a solar panel company. Her moods improved and she married coach Reedy. He was fifteen years her senior but he had stuck with her through thick and thin and was not bothered by hers mood swings. Since moving to a warm place she was almost content and when you are as difficult as Nina, contentment is a huge improvement.
Nina finished with skating but still watches competitions on TV. Charming and Helga are still on the circuit to this day winning medals and acting in cameo roles on soap operas.
