Vincent Zhou

with the exception of junior year and then after graduation i took two more gap years to focus on the 2018 olympics so i'd spent a long time away from a physical classroom environment and i didn't have i wasn't so lucky as to have something like icl around me so my experience was probably very different. I did not belong whatsoever. I had to learn to be a beginner again, almost.

with the exception of junior year and then after graduation i took two more gap years to focus on the 2018 olympics so i'd spent a long time away from a physical classroom environment and i didn't have i wasn't so lucky as to have something like icl around me so my experience was probably very different. I did not belong whatsoever. I had to learn to be a beginner again, almost.

You get so used to being a master at your craft that your mind almost forgets the pathways that it takes, that it has to utilize to learn from scratch all over again. And that's one of the challenges I faced coming into the semester at Brown. But on top of that, I was still trying to train and compete at the same time. So it was constantly flipping the switch back and forth.

You get so used to being a master at your craft that your mind almost forgets the pathways that it takes, that it has to utilize to learn from scratch all over again. And that's one of the challenges I faced coming into the semester at Brown. But on top of that, I was still trying to train and compete at the same time. So it was constantly flipping the switch back and forth.

You get so used to being a master at your craft that your mind almost forgets the pathways that it takes, that it has to utilize to learn from scratch all over again. And that's one of the challenges I faced coming into the semester at Brown. But on top of that, I was still trying to train and compete at the same time. So it was constantly flipping the switch back and forth.

And unfortunately, Brown's athletic department was not particularly supportive of my training needs. So I ended up trying to commute to Boston five days a week to train. And I was going to Boston from Providence during rush hour in the morning. and in rush hour in the afternoon coming back. So normally it's a 45 minute to one hour commute.

And unfortunately, Brown's athletic department was not particularly supportive of my training needs. So I ended up trying to commute to Boston five days a week to train. And I was going to Boston from Providence during rush hour in the morning. and in rush hour in the afternoon coming back. So normally it's a 45 minute to one hour commute.

And unfortunately, Brown's athletic department was not particularly supportive of my training needs. So I ended up trying to commute to Boston five days a week to train. And I was going to Boston from Providence during rush hour in the morning. and in rush hour in the afternoon coming back. So normally it's a 45 minute to one hour commute.

I was spending up to two hours each way, up to four hours on the road each day, five days a week while trying to take classes and train full time for at the top level. So very quickly I burnt out. I just remember the feeling of stepping on the ice and not knowing what I was doing there.

I was spending up to two hours each way, up to four hours on the road each day, five days a week while trying to take classes and train full time for at the top level. So very quickly I burnt out. I just remember the feeling of stepping on the ice and not knowing what I was doing there.

I was spending up to two hours each way, up to four hours on the road each day, five days a week while trying to take classes and train full time for at the top level. So very quickly I burnt out. I just remember the feeling of stepping on the ice and not knowing what I was doing there.

And that's a really scary feeling because when you've been passion struck your whole life and all of a sudden you step into the familiar arena, but you feel nothing. You feel nothing. It's terrifying. It's terrifying. It feels like you question everything. You don't know what's happening. You don't know why it's happening.

And that's a really scary feeling because when you've been passion struck your whole life and all of a sudden you step into the familiar arena, but you feel nothing. You feel nothing. It's terrifying. It's terrifying. It feels like you question everything. You don't know what's happening. You don't know why it's happening.

And that's a really scary feeling because when you've been passion struck your whole life and all of a sudden you step into the familiar arena, but you feel nothing. You feel nothing. It's terrifying. It's terrifying. It feels like you question everything. You don't know what's happening. You don't know why it's happening.

You realize it's probably up here, but you start trying to find physical reasons to turn it around because that's something you can tangibly change in the moment is like your effort or your technique or something like that. But at the end of the day, that's the wrong reason. So you end up seeding more doubt and more doubt into your mind. And it's just a negative spiral.

You realize it's probably up here, but you start trying to find physical reasons to turn it around because that's something you can tangibly change in the moment is like your effort or your technique or something like that. But at the end of the day, that's the wrong reason. So you end up seeding more doubt and more doubt into your mind. And it's just a negative spiral.

You realize it's probably up here, but you start trying to find physical reasons to turn it around because that's something you can tangibly change in the moment is like your effort or your technique or something like that. But at the end of the day, that's the wrong reason. So you end up seeding more doubt and more doubt into your mind. And it's just a negative spiral.

Long story short, that semester was extremely difficult. I withdrew from all my competitions. I quit skating and I had almost convinced myself that I might as well give up on the 2022 Olympic dream and just start my academic journey full time. I was fully prepared to come back to tell Brown I'm not doing the two and a half year deferral. I'm just coming back full time the following semester.

Long story short, that semester was extremely difficult. I withdrew from all my competitions. I quit skating and I had almost convinced myself that I might as well give up on the 2022 Olympic dream and just start my academic journey full time. I was fully prepared to come back to tell Brown I'm not doing the two and a half year deferral. I'm just coming back full time the following semester.

Long story short, that semester was extremely difficult. I withdrew from all my competitions. I quit skating and I had almost convinced myself that I might as well give up on the 2022 Olympic dream and just start my academic journey full time. I was fully prepared to come back to tell Brown I'm not doing the two and a half year deferral. I'm just coming back full time the following semester.