Competition keeps skater on the ice.

Byline: Jay Gearan

RUTLAND - Most accomplished figure skaters began skating when they were so young that they can't even recall their first few steps on the ice.

Not Debby Hallen, 43, who began skating in her 20s and still competes. Over the winter at the Bay State Games, she won a silver medal in her age and competitive category. This weekend, Ms. Hallen, from Rutland, performs in the Worcester Open at the Buffone Arena, and next month she'll head to Grand Rapids, Mich., for the Adult National Championships.

Q What got you interested in figure skating?

A "My husband and I were in our early 20s, just dating at the time, and we went to see his nieces in a skating recital at the North Star Youth Forum in Westboro. After the kids skated, they brought out a group of adults.

"My husband said to me, `Wouldn't it be nice to stop on the ice without crashing into the wall? Maybe we should take group lessons.' And we did and both really enjoyed it."

Q Had you skated a lot before?

A "Maybe once a year as a kid. I grew up in Eastern Long Island and there were few ice rinks, and we didn't get much ice on the ponds. But I had taken dance lessons since second grade, so there were some similarities there."

Q What are the physical fitness benefits of skating?

A "It's as good as working out in a gym, plus it's so much more interesting. With skating you're always learning something and trying to express the artistic element of the sport."

Q What is your skating routine like?

A "I do single-revolution jumps, no double jumps. I have combination jumps, salchows, lutz jumps, a flip jump, salchow toe loop combination, and a layback, camel, sit, change, spin combination. It takes perseverance to do all of them."

Q Do you teach skating?

A "I haven't done any teaching yet. I still dance, though. I love ballet, tap and jazz."

Q So, would you say it's never too late to begin figure skating?

A "I know many people who have started much later than I did. A few were in their late 50s when they started. At the Nationals, I will see people from age 21 through 80, and from all walks of life. People who can do double and triple jumps and just love to skate. What I love about it is the very supportive environment. It's competitive, but it's more about competing against yourself, trying to outdo what you did last year."

Q Where was the national competition last year?

A "Lake Placid, which has to be my favorite venue. To skate on Olympic ice is just great. I ended up eighth in my division, and I was pretty happy. I skated well."

Q Who is your favorite professional figure skater?

A "My all-time favorite is Michelle Kwan. I got to see her skate in person once when she was performing in Boston. She's such a class act, and she skates from the heart. The quality of her skating took your breath away. She definitely had what only the superstars have."

Q Why do you like to compete?

A "It's a great challenge. On any given day anybody can win. One of the reasons why I compete is that it forces you to work harder. You have to get on the ice and in one minute and 50 seconds prove what you can do."

Q What is your training schedule like?

A "I try to skate at the Auburn rink during public skating hours whenever I can. I usually skate three to four times a week for about an hour and a half to two hours each session."

ART: PHOTO

PHOTOG: JAY GEARAN

CUTLINE: Debby Hallen, 43, started skating when she was in her 20s. She's still skating - and scoring high marks - in competitions across the country.