Ianna Chan: Figure Skating
Ianna Chan, a CDA Flower Mound student, developed a passion for Figure Skating at the early age of four and has enjoyed it ever since.
Figure skating is a sport in which skaters perform on ice singly, in pairs, or in synchro groups, combining graceful movements of footwork, lifts, jumps and spins in a program. Ianna Chan, a CDA Flower Mound student, developed a passion for the sport at the early age of four and has enjoyed it ever since. “I fell in love with it,” states Chan. “When I skate, I feel free…Skating, often times, serves as an outlet for me.”
In her early years of practice, Chan joined the US Figure Skate Association and participated in different competitions. She has now left the competitive scene, and joined the Ice Sports Industry (ISI) association, which allows her to skate recreationally for fun and enjoyment. Although she no longer participates in competitions, Chan continues to practice and take lessons from her coach Lilli Erickson. She advances herself by taking tests from the ISI Skating Program. Chan mainly practices solo freestyle skating, yet she finds herself recently having increased interest in Ice Dancing and plans to explore more in that area. Currently, she is working on improving in her axels, double rotation jumps, and other elements for her next testing.
In the summer of 2022, with encouragement from her coach, Chan, began instructing as a teaching assistant to other professional skating coaches at the Skating Academy of the Children's Health Star Center in Farmers Branch. This teaching opportunity has increased her confidence and love for skating. Chan states that Coach Lilli is someone who has helped her passion for the sport to grow, inspired her to teach, and led her to inspire others about ice skating. In addition to her coach’s support, her local skating community (now close friends) cheer her on. Her passion for the sport has poured out to others. Most recently, she has brought along another CDA student to learn how to figure skate.
Chan gives credit to the Lord for the perseverance she has experienced staying in figure skating. “Falling down is inevitable in ice skating practice; it takes hundreds, if not thousands, of falls before you can master one single element solidly; this could be very discouraging, and I sometimes wonder if I could ever make it. The Lord has taught me that His timing is so much greater than my own. He allows me to rest and confide in Him. Ultimately, He gets all the glory for my achievements.”
