Last week, U.S. Figure Skating announced the recipients of this year’s Mabel Fairbanks Skatingly Yours awards. These scholarships are given to support the training and development of BIPOC figure skaters who demonstrate good sportsmanship, commitment, perseverance, and determination to be their best. A total of six skaters will receive awards, two of whom are coached by Rohene Ward. Alexa Gasparotto, who competed in the senior women’s division at the recent 2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, is the singular recipient of the Elite Award of $20,000. Nathan Chapple, who competed at the World University Games last month, received the new Notable Award of $2,000.
“It’s incredibly special that they have this opportunity,” said Ward, who competed several times at the U.S. Championships and is now a renowned coach and choreographer. “It can be life-changing and give them access to things they didn’t have before for their training.”
Gasparotto and Starr Andrews made this the first U.S. Championships in 23 years in which two Black women competed in the senior women’s division. “Even more to the story, they both have Black coaches,” said Ward. “That’s what I think Alexa needed, a Black coach. She needed someone to understand her, to know how to push her…and navigate through this process with her. That’s what Nathan needed as well.”
Chapple did not qualify for the U.S. Championships, but he was selected to represent the U.S. at the World University Games, an international multi-sport competition for athletes who are also college students. After skating well in the competition, he was invited to skate in the gala exhibition.
“That was such a different experience—being around skiers, lugers, bobsledders, ski jumpers, and speed skaters,” said Ward. “We marched with 150 U.S. athletes into the stadium for the Opening Ceremony. There’s no other experience other than the Olympics that you’re going to get to feel like that.”
It fueled Chapple’s competitive desire. “[World University Games] was my first international and such a good experience,” said Chapple, who is also going to continue his studies with a focus on computer science. “It prepared me for next season.
“Getting this [scholarship] means a lot. I have support from other people, not just at my training rink,” he continued. “It means a lot that I have people that support what I’m doing and what I want to do with the rest of my skating career. I want to keep competing internationally, hopefully on the world level.”