By RICHIE HALL
Figure skating has been a part of Olivia Stone’s life for a decade.
The Noblesville High School sophomore first took to the ice when she was 6 after participating in a public skate session. Now at 16, Stone is a veteran of over 40 competitions.
“Ever since I can remember, I skate six days per week,” said Stone. “There is no off season in figure skating. Summer time is actually training time and the beginning of the competition season.”
Soon after Stone made her first step on the ice, her parents signed her up for Learn To Skate lessons. That led to private coaching and competitions.
“I was 10 years old at my first competition at The Forum at Fishers now known as the Fuel Tank at Fishers,” said Stone. The Fuel Tank has become a familiar place for her, as it is her home rink.
Stone has worked her way up the skating ladder over the years, currently competing in the discipline and level of Ladies Novice Free Skate. She explained that there are eight levels of figure skating, and competing at a certain level requires passing a Moves in the Field Test and a Freestyle test performed in front of specifically qualified judges.
“Each level takes at least a year to pass, and often much longer depending on your goals,” said Stone.
The levels are, in order:
1. Pre-Preliminary
2. Preliminary
3. Pre-Juvenile
4. Juvenile (must be younger than 13)
5. Intermediate (must be younger than 18)
6. Novice
7. Junior
8. Senior
The Juvenile level is the first qualifying level, where a skater can start to qualify for sectional and national competitions. A skater must be at the Senior level to compete for national titles and the Olympics. Stone is currently at the Novice level.
“To attain the Senior Level can take some skaters well over a decade of intense daily training,” said Stone. “And that’s assuming all of the important tools necessary fall into place, such as: Coaching, funds needed, balancing school and NO injuries.
“I have found that once you reach the Novice Level, competition is fierce,” said Stone. “All the girls have trained their entire lives. Everyone is elite and tough. It’s kind of a pivotal point where you have to decide that you are willing to continue the sacrifice needed to keep competing. The amount of athleticism now required in this sport has morphed over the years and even this level is extreme with girls needing to perform double axels and triple jumps; and the top national competitors are attempting quadruple jumps.”
“The number of years spent training to reach the national level can last a lifetime and even then only a very small percentage of skaters will ever make it to Nationals,” said Stone. “Now there are many disciplines in figure skating in which those who do not take the single skating competitive route may find another way to get to Nationals. There is dance, pairs, theater on ice, national showcase and synchro.”
Stone takes part in local competitions in Indiana and Ohio to prepare for the Regionals, which take place in October. She also competes in the Skate Detroit event in July. There are nine regions across the United States, with the top four girls in each Regional competition advancing to one of the three Sectionals. After that, the top four skaters from each section advance to the Nationals.
“It’s tough,” said Stone, who noted that a skater may be competing against 30 to 50 other girls.
“I have been fortunate enough to always do pretty well at Regionals, qualifying for the final round,” said Stone. “I have yet to make it to Sectionals and that continues to be a major goal of mine.”
Stone has won various competitions throughout her career, including two in 2018: The Ladies Intermediate Indiana State Champion and the Ladies Intermediate Combined Winner Kathy Slack Troy Summer Competition.
“I did recently pass my Senior Moves in the Field Test which makes me a gold medalist,” said Stone. “After two more leveled freestyle tests I will officially make it to the final Senior level.”
Stone names three skaters as her favorite, starting with Russian Alena Kostornaia, the recent European champion and a fellow 16-year-old. Another favorite is another Russian, Evgenia Medvedeva, who was a silver medalist at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics in the Team and Singles events. Stone’s third favorite is Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu, who has won the last two gold medals (2014 and 2018) in the men’s singles event.
“I enjoy combining the athleticism and artistry of the sport,” said Stone. “I often think it’s a metaphor for life. When you fall down, you pick yourself back up and try again.”
Stone said that NHS “has been so supportive” of her training schedule, and she skates every day before and after school if the ice schedule allows.
“I’m fortunate to have my home rink, The Fuel Tank at Fishers so close to me as I am competing against a nation of girls, most of whom are home schooled, so I have to be diligent in getting every second of ice in that I can,” said Stone. “Daily off ice training is also an integral part of my training.”
Stone admits that it is difficult to balance a high school schedule with training, but she wants to “persevere and compete again this year.”
“My goal is to eventually make it to Sectionals and Nationals and if lucky enough, one day the Olympics,” said Stone. “I have just made a coaching change, so I am currently in the process of developing and choreographing new programs for this season.”
Noblesville’s Olivia Stone has devoted a decade to figure skating since first participating in an open skate at age 6. Stone, a sophomore at Noblesville High School, skates six days a week and will compete in local competitions to prepare for the October Regionals. (Photo provided)