Mao Asada ended last year with a month of triumph and tragedy that are hard to imagine.
Just two weeks after her mother Kyoko passed away at 48 on Dec. 9, Mao laced up the boots again and showed the heart of a true champion in winning her fifth national title with an inspiring effort in Osaka.
The season restarts this week with the Four Continents Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It will mark Mao's last competition before next month's world championships in Nice, France.