While other people are running in circles trying to keep up with their work, junior Gabbie Permatteo is skating in circles to become a world champion.

Permatteo is the current junior world champion for people 18 and under in her roller skating event, Figures. In this event, skaters trace figure circles painted on the floor. Seven judges then score the skater and an average is taken to give a final score.

“You have to do different things; go backwards or go on one foot,” Permatteo said. “You have to be very precise, and it’s really difficult thing to do. It’s super boring to watch; you wouldn’t know what was going on if you saw it.”

To achieve this level of precision, Permatteo spends a large portion of her time training.

“I train for four days a week and four hours a day, but before a big competition like Nationals or Worlds, I train five days a week for five hours,” Permatteo said. “It has definitely taught me the value of patience and hard work, to see all this pay off in winning Worlds.”

Permatteo traveled to Nanjing, China to compete in the World Championship in September. Permatteo’s mother and coach Heidi Permatteo helps her train.

“She’s the one I get lessons from every week,” Permatteo said. “She comes with me to all of my competitions and calms me down when I get stressed before I go up. She used to compete before me [before I was born] and introduced me to the sport when I was four years old.”

Traveling to competitions has created great opportunities for Gabbie Permatteo and her family to experience other countries’ cultures.

“Gabbie has traveled [to]the US, Italy, Germany, Colombia, and now China,” Heidi Permatteo said.

Permatteo’s skating has also greatly enhanced her relationship with her family.

“It hasn’t even sunk in that she is a world champion,” Heidi Permatteo said. “Every now and then, we’ll look over at each other in the car and I’ll say to her, ‘You are a world champion,’ and she’ll say, ‘I know, right.’ Then we start laughing because to me I just see my daughter Gabbie.”

Permatteo plans to continue her training throughout the years and to keep her title of World Champion.

“There were a lot of setbacks and times when you want to stop, but when you get to the point when it’s paying off the feeling is amazing,” Permatteo said. “I have a medal to show for it now and it gives me a very proud feeling.”