AthleticsAthletics News
Blazer Spotlight: On and Off the Ice With Lucas B. ’25
For the past eight years, Bush junior Lucas B. ’25 has steadily climbed to reach the upper echelons of the competitive figure skating world. This past season was his most successful yet, where he placed second at the 2022-2023 Junior Grand Prix Final and won the 2023 U.S. Junior Championship, setting a record for combined total score at that event. Originally a ski racer, Lucas fell into skating when he was nine years old when he tried it out while in Sun Valley, Idaho. He started to love skating and turned to that pursuit full time.
“[Skating] is very freeing,” Lucas said. “I find a way to connect with the ice in a way that just feels good. There’s a bond with the ice that I can’t really explain.”
Skating at such a high level demands a lot from Lucas. In total, Lucas spends about twenty hours a week training on and off the ice, which includes ballet, stretching, and strength training in addition to skating. A typical weekday sees him leave school a little early to skate and train with his two coaches, coming home around 8:00 p.m. to do his homework after. It is important to Lucas to still be able to attend high school full-time while balancing his training and competition schedule.
“Multi-tasking school and skating is difficult, but also doable. My teachers are very accommodating,” Lucas said. “They all know what I do and what goals I have. They’re very understanding, which is very helpful.”
This season, Lucas’s goals include improving on last year’s finish at junior worlds and competing at senior nationals, which starts on January 22, 2024. His program this year includes a quad toe loop and a triple axel. He credits skating with building the resilience and drive he has today.
“I think it’s really done a lot for my work ethic,” Lucas said. “It’s impossible to get far without working hard. I think skating has taught me to do that well but also in a way that’s balanced and healthy. I work hard in skating and also work hard in school. Skating will always find a way to humble you, so it's made me more humble as well.”
Ultimately, Lucas’s goal is to skate at a high level in high school and college without sacrificing his schooling. Based on his results, the Olympics also remain a consideration. The pressure of such an individual sport is both a challenge and something he thrives on.
“Skating is one hundred percent on me, both the good and the bad. It’s a drawback and a pro,” Lucas said.
For now, he is grateful to attend Bush and have the flexibility it affords him.
“Bush has been very helpful in achieving my goals in skating, and I’m really glad to go to this school,” Lucas said.
-By Colin Murray, Communications Manager
The Bush School is an independent, coeducational day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 715 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities.
3400 East Harrison Street, Seattle WA 98112 (206) 322-7978
The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment, recruitment, admissions, or administration of any of its programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. In addition, The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment on the basis of age or marital status.