Stephanie Roche: This week's dance has me thinking 'the state of me'
Stephanie Roche and dance partner Ervinas Merfeldas
Stephanie Roche’s journey didn’t get off to the smoothest of starts, but the 33-year-old says “perseverance” and improvement week-on-week is what she’s aiming for.
The former Ireland footballer scored just 13 for her Cha Cha Cha in week-one, but has fared much better in recent weeks with her Charleston scoring 23 points.
"I said coming into the show that I wanted to improve week on week,” she said ahead of Sunday night’s installment.
“I've never ever danced before. I never even danced as a kid... it was always just football.
“So I just had in my mind, let's just get better week on week and I'm proud to say that I've done that.”
The Shamrock Rovers striker said her journey has been about “perseverance,” admitting that when you come from doing something your good at to something you’re “not so good at”, it can be “difficult”.
“Someone actually said to me the other day when the judges were giving me their comments, I look them dead in the eye and try to take everything on board and say 'grand I’ll do that next week'. That’s definitely the footballer in me. As a player, if the manager has something to tell me, I will always listen and try to improve on it and the same goes for dancing.”
Stephanie, who recently married her boyfriend of 15 years, fellow footballer and business partner, Dean Zambra, said the best part of the experience so far has been the positive messages she’s received from parents of young kids.
"I run a football coaching company and we've got so many of the parents from schools emailing us and saying the kids are watching us boys and girls and absolutely loving every minute of it.”
Stephanie said she’s also been approached by members of the public on the street with kind words: “They’re saying ‘you’re doing great, it's great to see you're showing young girls that you can be a sports person but also go and do the glitz and glam'. It’s been really great to get that feedback.”
This week, Stephanie and her dance partner Ervinas Merfeldas will be taking on the Paso Doble to Cork woman Lyra and John Gibbons' cover of 'Edge of 17' by Stevie Nicks.
“He brought a cape into training the other day and was trying to show what I’ve to do for the Paso Doble. I told him he looked ridiculous,” she laughed.
“Honestly the first few days, I was like... 'the state of me, what have you got me doing?'... it's one of those things that you just have to embrace.”
"It's all about power and confidence, this dance, and I think the song brings that as well. It's a very powerful song. We've got a very good routine, so hopefully we'll smash it on Sunday."
