Joshua Rhoads
Born Long Beach, California Feb. 28, 1980
On skates at 4 years old
Family moved to Missouri at 5 years old
Started competing at the age of 6
First National Championships at 8 years old.
First National Placement at 8 years old. Silver Medal in Primary Boys Singles.
Won Primary Boys singles the following year at age 9.
Competed in figures, freestyle, and dance. Retired from dance at the age of 13.
Moved to Boston area at age 14 to take from Scott Cohen.
Placed at National Championships over 25 times including a bronze in Elem. Team Dance, and Gold in Freshman and Junior Men’s figures. Retired from figures at 17 years old.
Started focusing strictly on freestyle at 17 years old
First International Competition- 1997 Junior World Championships in Reus, Spain- Bronze medal.
Moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 2004 and trained there for two years with Toby Mathews
In 2004 became a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine
Started Personal Training Business –“Synergistic Personal Training”
Started teaching career in Palm Beach, Florida. Along with Technique and Choreography implemented off skates plyometric and core/abdominal fitness training.
Moved to Seattle, Washington in 2006 and trained with Anna Carrier
Taught technique, cut music, and choreographed freestyle programs for skaters in primary to World Class.
Implemented one on one off skates training programs and fitness classes to improve freestyle skating performance by way of gaining lean muscle, balance, and explosive strength.
Senior World Team Member 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008.
Finishing between 4th and 10th place every year at World Championships
Silver Medal World Games, Akita, Japan 2001
Bronze Medal Pan American Games, Rio, Brazil 2007
Was invited to exhibitions all over Italy including Rome, Florence, Rimini, Sardinia, Modena, and Trieste.
Skated all over the world including Italy, Spain, Colombia, China, Portugal, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, and Japan.
Founder of “Elite Skate Productions” and the – “U.S. Seattle Skate Camp”
Best memory of skating career:
I would have to pick two very memorable moments. The first would be my first year in Senior World Class when I skated great and won Nationals with 97’s and 98’s. I had never received scores like that. I was so excited to begin my career in World Class. The other moment was the 2005 World Championships in Rome. I had a terrible short program and just made too many mistakes. I had no chance of placing. I was devastated and didn’t even want to skate my long. I pulled my self together and skated more aggressive than I ever had. It was the first time I completed a triple loop in combination at a competition, and I was skating to the first long program I had choreographed on my own. Prior, I could rely on the brilliant Scott Cohen, who I learned so much from. I received a standing ovation from 10,000 passionate Italian fans for my program and my determination. I moved up 11 placements. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.
Worst memory of skating career:
That would have to be any time I didn’t skate to the best of my ability. Rather it is a local meet or a World Championship. Anyone who knows me well understands I am intensely hard on myself. An extreme perfectionist, I have trouble being content with any of my performances. But, if I had to pick one situation I’d have to pick my short program in the 1998 National Championships. I was skating a perfect program, I had the crowd on the edge of their seats, and then on the final spin I got ahead of myself in the travel and basically went flying over two figure circles to end up on my hands and knees. When you watch the video, you can hear the entire crowd go aaaawwwww!! as I’m going down. We laugh about in now, but at the time it was the end of my world.
Josh is currently training and coaching at the Lynnwood Bowl and Skate in Lynnwood, WA