TAUNTON, Mass. —

Highschool senior Emage Ogletree makes inventive curler skating look simple.

“It is identical to ice skating, however simply on wheels,” Ogletree mentioned of the game.

The 18-year-old from Taunton glides throughout the curler rink with velocity, grace and precision. However her journey to changing into a nationwide champion and Group USA athlete has been something however simple.

Ogletree has been skating since she was 6 years outdated, and she or he trains at Carousel Household Enjoyable Heart in Whitman. This summer time, years of laborious work paid off when she gained a Nationwide Gold Medal in inventive curler skating, incomes a spot on Group USA and the chance to characterize the US on the World Skate Video games in Paraguay.

However her path to the highest practically took a special flip.

Ogletree mentioned extreme nervousness grew to become a serious problem throughout highschool. To assist handle it, she started working with a sports activities psychologist and ultimately transitioned to on-line education to cut back tutorial stress.

“Due to the nervousness I skilled in my sport, we ended up doing psychological abilities remedy for me,” she mentioned.

Regardless of these challenges, she continued coaching and specializing in her schooling.

“It was positively lots for me, however I caught to it. I stored skating. I stored doing my schoolwork. I used to be right here 5 days every week. I used to be doing faculty 5 days every week,” Ogletree mentioned.

That perseverance helped propel her to the largest accomplishment of her skating profession.

After successful the nationwide championship, Ogletree realized she had secured a spot on Group USA.

“I used to be like, wow, I did it. I lastly did it in any case of those years. After 4 years, I lastly did it. I used to be amazed at myself,” she mentioned.

The gold medal is simply a part of her story.

Whereas pursuing her skating desires, Ogletree has maintained a 3.8 GPA, earned Honors standing, and is now making use of to schools. She hopes to pursue a profession in dermatology.

When she’s not coaching, Ogletree works on the Whitman rink and mentors youthful skaters.

Kristin Stafford, whose daughter additionally skates at Carousel, mentioned {the teenager} has develop into a task mannequin for lots of the youthful athletes.

“It is wonderful the sort of sisterhood all these skaters have. She’s taken my daughter on as type of a pseudo-little sister, so it is a good looking factor to see,” Stafford mentioned.

Coach and choreographer Jodee Viola mentioned Ogletree’s work ethic units her aside.

“Encouraging the opposite skaters, setting the instance that she units, I imply, she is arms down my hardest employee within the rink. She is available in with a smile on her face, however she will get proper right down to enterprise,” Viola mentioned.

For somebody who spent years constructing confidence in herself, serving to youthful skaters construct confidence has develop into an essential a part of her mission.

“You may hold going, you’ll be able to hold combating for what you wish to be. Maintain pushing. By no means cease and all the time perceive that you are able to do it,” Ogletree mentioned.

As she will get able to characterize the US on the World Skate Video games in Paraguay later this 12 months, Ogletree is elevating cash to get there.