How elite figure skater Brianna Laxson spins, jumps, and somehow lands on her feet.

Tune in for even five minutes of an elite figure skating competition and you’re struck by the crazy blend of athleticism, precision, and grace under pressure required to nail those routines. For Olympic hopefuls, a lifetime of training can come down to landing a handful of jumps in a two-minute program.

How do these elite skaters do it? We decided to ask one: Brianna Laxson, a 13-year-old from northern Virginia who is about to compete in the 2013 National Championships. We paid a visit to Laxson and her coach one afternoon at their training rink to see if we could find the secret to her success.