The last time the United States hosted the World Championships, Amber Glenn was 16 years old. Like most junior American girls at the time, she sat in the audience and watched Ashley Wagner win the silver medal on home soil.

“I just remember cheering so loud I couldn’t even hear myself in that building,” Glenn said.

Now, at 25 and as the reigning U.S. national champion, she is experiencing many firsts in her career. Before this year, the Texas native had yet to win any international competition at any level. The first half of this season could not be any more different—not only did she win both of her Grand Prix assignments, but she also became the first American woman to win the Grand Prix Final title in 14 years.

While last season felt like a breakthrough for Glenn, who ratified her triple axel for the first time, she struggled consistently to deliver a clean program from start to finish. Glenn would land the triple axel with ease, but the adrenaline rushed over her and she would just, let it go.

This season has been like night and day. She is now capable of jumping the triple axel at the beginning of the program and keeping her composure through the rest of the technical elements. For Glenn, landing the element multiple times took off the pressure to prove that the first time, and even the second time, wasn’t a fluke. Entry. Takeoff. In air. Exit. On the money pretty much every single time. Now, the ‘trixel’ is just part of the program like any other jump. 

“There’s less anticipation, there’s less adrenaline, and it kind of just carries me through the program, rather than having this huge spike in the beginning and then crashing,” she said.