Sharing a Bond With an Olympic Athlete

Meryl Davis is not only the reigning U.S. ice dance champion along with her partner Charlie White, she is also on her way to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. I met Meryl via some of my Delta Delta Delta sorority sisters and couldn’t wait to speak with her. She and I share a common bond in that we are both members of the Iota chapter of Delta Delta Delta at the University of Michigan.

Meryl Davis and Charlie White have been skating for more than 13 years and are one of two ice dancing teams from the University of Michigan headed to the Olympics. The other U of Michigan team, Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates took the bronze at the U.S. National competition. Meryl and Charlie had a fabulous season in 2010, winning every event they entered including the U.S. title over 2006 Olympic silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. “It’s really a testament to our training and everything we’ve put into our skating over the last 13 years,” Meryl said. “To come out at nationals and beat such an amazing team with the credentials that they have, especially leading to the Olympics, we’re going to take that and run with it.”

During the U.S. National Championship in Spokane, the two performed a distinctive original dance set to Indian music “Dola Re Dola” by Sameer, Nusret Badr, and their free dance was set to “Phantom of the Opera Overture”, “Music of the Night” and ” Point of No Return” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. During this performance, they do a dramatic, innovative lift halfway through the program which involves White skating backwards, hoisting Davis up and over his shoulder and then balancing on one skate while bending the other at a 45-degree angle. Davis then gently rests one foot on his back and the other on the back of White’s calf , while he’s still going backwards.

Davis is majoring in anthropology and minoring in Italian and says that she’d love to work for National Geographic one day. A member Delta Delta Delta, Davis lives in the sorority house with about 60 other girls. I asked Meryl what her favorite thing about being a Tri Delta was and she responded, “I love being a Michigan Tri Delta because I know I have sisters for life, no matter where it takes me. I’m always on the road or training, and don’t get as much time with friends and family as I would like. My sisters are always so understanding of my crazy schedule and support me to no end. I’m so blessed to be a part of such an amazing group of young women and can’t imagine my life without them.”

I know I’m going to be glued to the television watching the ice dancing competition in Vancouver beginning February 19, 2010. Visit http://www.vancouver2010.com/ for a full schedule.

Photo by Leah Adams

Visit http://www.ice-dance.com/davis-white/