A local figure skater is honing her skills at the Pettit National Ice Center as she watches this weekend's Olympic figure skating trials with dreams of competing at that level someday.
Marilyn McCoy-Sprung spends most days training at the Pettit National Ice Center. Her love for figure skating started when her grandmother, a former figure skater, brought her to Ebel Ice Arena in Brookfield when she was about 4 years old.
"My grandmother was originally a figure skater in her youth, and when I was about 4 years old, she brought me to Ebel Ice Arena in Brookfield, and she could not get me off the ice, so that's where my journey started here," McCoy-Sprung said.
She has medaled in national and international competitions and dreams of someday competing at the Olympic figure skating trials like the ones taking place this weekend in St. Louis.
Watch: This local figure skater's advice to kids who want to get started in the sport:
"I'm watching some of my friends, some of the people I've aspired to my entire life, and some of the comebacks that are happening. It's going to be very exciting," McCoy-Sprung said.
Guiding McCoy-Sprung through her training is longtime coach Lisa Reed, who says what fans see on competition night is only a fraction of the work required.
"What a lot of people don't understand about the sport is how much time and effort and family commitment goes into getting these athletes to the national and world Olympic level," Reed said.
As Team USA takes the ice in Milan, Reed is optimistic about what's ahead.
"I think we have a great shot. We're going to be medalists in ice dance. We're going to be medalists in singles and pairs. I think we're going to be on the podium for every event," Reed said.
Back in Milwaukee, the work continues for McCoy-Sprung, one run through at a time.
Her advice to other kids interested in getting started in the sport is simple.
"Have fun with it. If you truly love it, it's never going to feel like you're working that hard because you're just going to enjoy being on the ice and enjoy skating. So having the mindset of this is what I get to do and I get to have fun with it is definitely very helpful," McCoy-Sprung said.
You can watch the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships and Olympic team selection Saturday at 7:00p and Sunday at 1:00p on TMJ4.
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