Hi, my name is Aísling, I am 16 years old and I am a figure skater from North Devon. I train 4 times a week at Bristol & Swindon Ice Rinks even though I live in North Devon which is 1 hour 30mins away from Bristol and 2hrs 15mins from Swindon.

I often have to wake up at 3.30am to train as my practice ice time starts at 6am and we live so far away.

I have worked my way to Level 8 in Free Skating - Senior level - this is the highest level that you can achieve in competitive figure skating. I reached this level before my 16th birthday. I will be competing this season 2026-27 all over the country as a Level 6 Advanced Novice competitor.

I started to compete nationally in October 2023 and won my first competition 'Young Stars' at National Level 2 against 28 competitors from around the UK. I won at the BIS Open in Sheffield at National Level 5 (Intermediate Novice) in March 2025 and I also won gold at the Guildford Open in May 2025.

This season I successfully qualified for the BIS Championship qualifiers in March, August and October where I competed and secured a place at the British Championships in December 2026. This is a huge moment in my skating career and one that I have worked towards since I was 8 years old.

I have always loved competing and although I do feel the nerves beforehand, particularly now that I am older and there is so much at stake every time I compete, I try to channel the nerves into a successful performance. I find that I thrive during these moments, under the pressure of competing in front of a crowd and a panel of judges and look forward to performing my routines.

I have taken part in events with Disney on Ice which have been really valuable in terms of developing my acting and performance on ice. Last December I also worked on a film with the Eden Project in Cornwall and featured in their ice skating advert that was showcased on social media and in South West Cinemas.

My ultimate aim is to become an elite figure skater and a competitor at Grand Prix events, World Championships and the Winter Olympics. I love skating and feel such a connection to the ice, I could not imagine doing anything else for my future career.

I attended international skating camps in Europe during summer 2024, 2025 & 2026. These experiences helped my skills to progress so much and I would like to go again next year to continue my progression.

As winter sports are not well funded here in the UK, it is better to train at facilities in Europe if possible with coaches who have international experience such as Olympic coach Benoît Richard who I trained with this summer. It was also a huge privilege to meet the current Men's Olympic champion at the camp and a moment that has inspired me to work even harder to achieve my goals.

Figure skating is a very expensive sport with my boots costing £500 each time and blades also £500 these are replaced when my feet grow even the tiniest bit or after approximately 9months of training. Lessons are £30-40 for 30mins and currently I have 8-10 lessons a week. Accessing ice is £150 per month. Plus the cost of travelling 3-5 hours to get to the rink and home which have risen exponentially over the last year. Competition dresses are £500 per dress with level 6 being two routines (so needing two dresses). Next season (July 2027) I will require 2 new dresses. Competition entries are £150-£200 to enter plus we have to be there early due to locations being mainly in Sheffield, Nottingham, London or Scotland, so we often have to stay overnight.

This means that continuing on my journey is virtually impossible without the kindness of businesses, individuals or charitable organisations to help me in my journey. If anyone feels they are able to give anything towards my fundraiser it would be so greatly appreciated and would help me continue in my quest to become an elite figure skater and achieve my full potential. You may see me one day at the Winter Olympics with the knowledge that you helped me to get there!!