Walking around campus, you may catch a glimpse of someone gliding through the halls. Meet the figure on skates, Mya Sansour. 

    Sansour’s love for skating began after watching The Ice Princess, a Disney movie released when they were a child. Since then, they have always managed to find their way back onto the ice. 

    “I remember one of their birthday parties when we took a group of Mya and some children to the ice,” Sansour’s mother, Pamela Kirkland, said. “For fun and occasionally since they were little; as they got older, it got to be something they really wanted to do. That was when it became more serious.”

    Sansour taught themself for three years to figure skate before leaping into the next level… competitive skating. Sansour worked hard on their own to pursue this interest.

    “It’s been amazing to watch because there was no one pushing them to go do that,” Kirkland said. “They knew exactly what they wanted; things that made them happy, the things that didn’t make them happy, and if there was something that they wanted to try, they just did it.”

    Hard work does pay off as Sansour competed in the John Smith Memorial Competition. This was the first competition they ever competed in. After spending hours on the ice, they placed first place.

    “I had been dreaming about it for years,” Sansour said. “Everyone was super proud of me. When I came back to school, people who I didn’t even know approached me and congratulated me, and it was a crazy feeling.” 

    Nicole Gaboury, Sansours’ coach, is one of the people who helped Sansour’s dream come true. Sansour does training with Gaboury several times a week and is amazed by Sansour’s enthusiasm for skating.

    “Mya is not afraid of falling, nor are they afraid to chase their dreams,” Gaboury said. “The thing that may stand out the most is that Mya truly wants to skate. I can train skills, but I can’t impart passion, and Mya has that.”

    Having a support system also helps Sansour stay motivated and encouraged. Sophomore Lilly Greene has been at the rink with Sansour, watching them twist and turn across the ice.  

    “Meeting Lilly was insane because she just motivated me like nobody’s business,” Sansour said. “Every day it was something else. She made me keep going.” 

    Skating at the same rink has given Greene and Sansour the chance to bond and improve. Greene has always been excited for Sansour. 

    “This was their first competition, and they got first place which is insane,” Greene said. “They just make me so proud, and I’m so proud of them for going after that dream.” 

    As graduation is upon Sansour, it’s important to balance their health, education, and figure skating. Sansour’s support system has helped them balance their mental health, yet their love for skating keeps them balanced as a whole. 

    “Before everything else, take care of yourself,” Sansour said. “But skating feels like therapy… and it’s cliche to say it, but I get on the ice, and nothing is really that bad after.”

    Sansour has a dedication that continues to shock the people around them. 

    “You do not often see someone identify a goal and decide that they are actually going to do it,” Kirkland said. “It speaks volumes about their capable of, no matter what it is.”

    Sansour’s love for the ice has definitely paid off. They have met friends, learned new skills, and have been given the chance to compete and feel their dreams as they’ve glissaded across the ice.