Luke Witkowski ’24 knows a thing or two about balance.
For one thing, he’s a figure skater, which requires a tremendous amount of balance—not to mention strength, dedication, and precision. For another, he’s managing a competitive skating career while navigating a busy senior year at Milton. Preparing for competition at his level is a massive time commitment; he trains about five hours a day, five days per week.
“I sleep very well at night with all the run-throughs I do during the day,” he said.
Luke finished in the top four in the U.S. Pairs Final last month. He and his partner, Sofia Jarmoc, won first in the short program and third in the long program, qualifying them to compete in the Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January.
“Balancing the competitive commitments of this current season with the academic load, while difficult and daunting, has been a source of determination,” he said. “I have to employ a large sum of grit and relentlessness both on and off the ice.” The dedication and intensity, he said, makes him both a better athlete and student.
Sofia, a freshman at Phillips Andover Academy, is Luke’s first pairs partner in a similar position, attending a rigorous independent school. It “absolutely” gives them common ground, as they both understand the other’s level of academic commitment, he said.
Luke began skating at the age of 3, training and competing through the Skating Club of Boston. He has risen up local and regional ranks as both a singles and pairs competitor. Sofia also represents the Skating Club of Boston.
