Canadian figure skater Jeffrey Buttle won a bronze medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics and won the world championship last year but won't defend his title at this year's world championships, which begin Tuesday at Staples Center.
Buttle retired last September, a surprising decision so close to the Vancouver Games. Buttle, 26, said he was satisfied with everything he had accomplished and that competing in the 2010 Olympics "just wasn't in my heart."
He had these thoughts on his life and his career, the reasons he stopped competing, and his hopes for his successor.
365 Days
A world champion has 365 days -- one year -- to relish the fact that he has successfully gained the title of the best in his field.
On March 22, 2008, I won this opportunity and all of the "perks" that came with it. Afterward, I was congratulated by so many at home for winning the title. It had been 11 years since the last Canadian man had done it (Elvis Stojko in March 1997).
I did some great television shows, had interviews with personalities I had previously only ever imagined meeting, and attended award shows generally attended only by popular musicians or celebrities. All of these interesting new windows had opened briefly for me to experience something new.
That said, the most precious thing that I gained from winning is actually the personal insight that has come from it.
Let me explain.
Ever since I started competing in the sport of figure skating, I have always enjoyed being in front of an audience. Sure, it can be terrifying at times when there is an abundance of pressure and the stakes are high, such as at the Olympics or world championships. But when push comes to shove, if I can create a moment on the ice that moves someone in the audience then I feel like I've accomplished something.
We all have this need for acknowledgment in some way, shape, or form, and this path is mine.
I started competing at an early age, about 6 years old, and that became my platform for performing. As long as I continue to compete, I will have an audience and an outlet for people to see what I can do or feel on the ice.
I competed for Canada for about 12 years internationally until my win last year in Sweden. Then, I stopped.
I loved representing my country, and especially enjoyed winning competitions for Canada -- and for myself of course. However, I was generally uncomfortably nervous during these competitions.
I remember asking myself why I put myself through this time and time again.
The insight I gained after the world championships was this: I put myself through the nerves and the pressure not because I wanted to win -- though it felt great when I did -- but because I essentially just wanted to perform and to have people watch me. Whether they appreciated what I did or not was entirely up to them, of course.
My title allowed me the opportunity to join the Stars on Ice tour and basically earn a living doing exactly what I've ever wanted to do: perform.
This has been my path over the past year. It's definitely different than the one I assumed would lead me to the Vancouver Games, but more importantly, it's the one that makes me happiest.
I'm certainly not encouraging future champions to retire prematurely, nor would I change my years competing for anything in the world, but here is what I hope for the gentleman to whom I pass the title:
* May he enjoy his time as the reigning men's champion, knowing that for 365 days he may refer to himself as the "king" if he so chooses.
* May he continue with his life in any way he sees fit. If that happens to be at the Vancouver Olympics, then may it not weigh as added pressure on his shoulders, but instead increase his confidence.
* May he be a gracious winner and a good representative of the sport and acknowledge all those who helped him to the top.
* May the journey to this title mean more than the title itself. Dozens of years should mean more than those few seconds on the podium, in my opinion.
* May he be extremely proud of himself and sing his national anthem with a smile on his face.
* May he not actually refer to himself as king. That's just odd!
Now, let's sit back and enjoy what should be an exciting event.
There are obvious contenders for the title: Brian Joubert of France, no stranger to the champion's role after winning in 2007; Patrick Chan, my fellow Canadian, with his unmatched skills and transitions; Evan Lysacek, who has won the bronze medal at worlds twice; and Jeremy Abbott, who has had a breakthrough season and is the newly crowned U.S. champion.
That's just a few, because there are so many others capable of surprising those contenders and the audience and claiming the next 365 days for themselves.
Thankfully when the year is up, you may no longer be "current," but the title of world champion will follow you forever.
