Young Figure Skater Looks Forward to National Competition

Kellie-Ann Wacasey-Shawn is not your ordinary teenager. At 13, this Trenton resident is a figure skater who will attend a national competition in four weeks.

When she was three years old and began ice skating, "I told my mom I wanted to be a princess on ice like Michelle Kwan," Wacasey-Shawn said.

Wacasey-Shawn qualified for the United States Figure Skating National Championships, competing in the solo ice dance. She competed in seven competitions between May 14 and July 31, and won several of the competitions.

Overall, Wacasey-Shawn placed third nationally. She is the first Downriver resident to ever receive this honor.

Wacasey-Shawn practices six days a week at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube sports center.

"I'm there all day until my mom picks me up," Wacasey-Shawn said.

After nationals, Wacasey-Shawn plans on passing her novice free skate test and beginning practicing to qualify for next year's nationals. Her long term goal is to make the US Figure Skating Scholastic Honors Team. She also wants to audition for Disney on Ice after graduating high school in 2015.

Her favorite part about figure skating is getting to travel all over the country. She has had competitions from New York to Texas.

When she's not on the ice, Wacasey-Shawn enjoys spending time with horses and working on a horse farm in the summer. She also volunteers at her work helping the children's horseback riding camp.

Wacasey-Shawn will be attending Brown University Pre-College program in the upcoming school year. She plans to attend Brown University to study forensic science.

"Although she's had injuries and setbacks, she's persevered and has never given up," said Kellie-Ann's mother, Karen Wacasey. "She has the love of the sport in her."

"There is a thrill of seeing your child standing on that podium receiving a medal that symbolizes so much hard work," said Karen.