"Physical breakdown," he says, once he's swallowed that bite of cake. "If one of my more serious, older, students gets even more seriously, it'll allow me to do better paid private coaching for fewer people for longer - but it also means more physical demand from me. I'll be able to teach tiny kids until I die, probably, but that won't pay the bills. I could cut out doing exhibition skating and extend that way by... conserving what I'm using my body on, but frankly that doesn't sound like fun. Mostly, it's just an athletic career, and unlike most you're at the height of your game when you're young. I have had more stress back and ankle fractures than I can count, my ankles are trash, and my knees aren't far behind. It just... isn't a viable lifelong plan."