Amongst the quaint surroundings of a tiny village up in the mountains, skaters and officials from around the world have gathered for the 2017 Open D’Andorra.

Numbered among those skaters are Lee Valley based Bulgarian Ice Dancers, Mina & Chris.

Only 8 weeks ago this team first stepped back on the ice after Chris being given the all clear from his surgeon following reconstructive shoulder surgery.

With no choreography in place, they battled frustration and the odds as Mina was then laid off training for a further 2 weeks with ankle trauma.

Yesterday in the Short Dance, they held their nerve in a field of seasoned competitors who have had a full season to prepare and train.

This evening in their Free Dance they gained a personal best score and the qualifying score for the European Championship, an outstanding achievement in a meagre 6 week’s preparation.

Sport of any kind teaches us life lessons such as;

• the field of play is rarely even
• Everyone has “hurdles” they are striving to overcome

But today’s life lesson was definitely “take each moment as it comes, be brave in the face of adversity and you may be pleasantly surprised at what you can achieve”