The 2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championships get underway in San Jose, California, on Monday, and it will be the most diverse group of competitors in a long time—possibly ever. There will be 10 Diversify Ice ambassadors either competing or taking part in the high-performance development camp. Diversify Ice is a nonprofit organization with the mission to increase opportunities for underrepresented skaters nationwide. Ambassadors help promote figure skating and the organization, as well as serving as positive role models in their communities and in the skating world.
“They use every opportunity to amplify our message and encourage new communities to get involved with our sport,” said Diversify Ice board member Nathan Truesdell, a coach and former ice dance competitor. “It’s very important that ambassadors provide mentorship to the next generation.”
Diversify Ice is planning a SkateRaiser (fundraiser and awareness) event on Feb. 18 in Lakewood, California. The goal is to keep growing the sport’s diversity. Truesdell said the presence of skaters of color at the U.S. Championships means progress and gives him hope for the future.
“While there are still many challenges, it seems like each new wave of skaters from underrepresented communities [is] met with greater and greater acceptance from the skating world, which is awesome,” said Truesdell. “As a community, we have come so far in the sport, and yet it is still so exciting to think about how much further we can and will go.”
There will be four Black skaters: Starr Andrews and Alexa Gasparotto in senior ladies, Mark Sadusky in senior pairs, and Kristina Bland in junior ice dance. This is the first time in 23 years that there will be two Black women in the senior ladies event—Andrea Gardiner and Cohen Duncan competed at the 2000 U.S. Championships.
“I’m ecstatic and at the same time sad that it took this long,” said Duncan, now a licensed therapist and a long-time skating coach (currently off the ice because she has a toddler). “It speaks to the fact that access to the sport is not easily available to everyone. Regardless of color, skating is a very expensive sport, but I’m very encouraged. I know that there are more people of color getting involved in skating [who] haven’t quite reached the national level.”