Athletic passions can be found everywhere, from the studio to the pool; sophomore Lilli La Via finds her athletic passions on the ice. La Via is a synchronized ice skater and competes with Dazzlers Synchronized Skating. Although a more obscure activity, La Via embodies the skill and dedication required to succeed in this unique sport and art.

Synchronized skating is unique in its team aspect as it requires precision from everyone. The team spends long hours practicing together and works as a unit to create a cohesive program for competitions.

La Via is aware that her activity is niche and enjoys the opportunity to educate others about her passion.

“It’s interesting because I get to educate people about something that is lesser known. It makes me feel good to know that people are interested in learning more about something they might not have heard about before,” La Via said.

La Via is incredibly educated in the sport. The duration of her experience with it makes her knowledgeable enough to answer questions and share information that may not be known to others. While this is rewarding, she finds the most satisfaction in her self-improvement, and has grown as a skater through her hard work.

“I’ve been doing it [skating] for about 13 years, and my favorite part is being able to learn more advanced skills and continue to improve upon what I already know,” La Via said.

As she has been participating in the sport for so long, the skills that she works on take longer to achieve. This is because as her difficulty increases, it takes much more effort to gain advanced skills.

“The skills that I work on are jumps and spins and difficult turns,” La Via said.

To learn about a student whose journey with their sport is more recent, yet equally as valuable, click here to see the impact fencing has had on Neha Higa’s life in the time she has participated in the activity.