Centerville figure skater earns Double Gold Medalist titles
At the age of 6, Alisa Rhodes laced up her ice skates for the first time to be like her older sister. Ten years later, the junior from Centerville High School has completed her second U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist track.
“In my opinion, the most challenging and frustrating part of being a figure skater is how non-linear the path to skill development is,” said Rhodes, who currently participates in Freestyle, Ice Dance and Synchronized Skating. “It can take months or even years to truly learn how to do certain skills and that often involves cycles of having to gain and lose skills over and over again. Despite all of these frustrations, learning new skills is still one of my favorite things about figure skating, and I believe that the struggles that are required to learn them only make them more worthwhile when things finally do fall into place.”
Rhodes received her first Gold Medalist title in 2021 after more than four years of perfecting the Skating Skills track. This February, she successfully completed the U.S. Figure Skating Pattern Dance track to earn her second Gold Medalist title. The Pattern Dance track, comprising 23 pattern dances divided into seven test levels, is a rigorous challenge that demands skill and perseverance.
Next up, Rhodes is focused on being more expressive in her skating, landing her double jumps – she’s mastered two of five, strengthening her spins, and working on her first international dance.
“Eventually, I hope to gain more Gold Medalist titles through the U.S. Figure Skating test system, specifically for Solo Free Dance and Singles, and to pass all of my international dances,” she said.
Rhodes’ figure skating journey extends beyond her individual achievements. She is part of Team Precision
Edge from the Miami Skating Academy, which recently won a gold medal at the Tri-State Synchronized Skating Competition in Dearborn, Michigan. She is also a member of the South Dayton Figure Skating Club’s junior board, which is organizing the club’s Spring Fling Exhibition, a public event from 12-2:30 p.m. on April 21 at Kettering Ice Arena. Admission is $5, and the event also features a bake sale, used skate and apparel sale, and raffle baskets.