KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne covers issues in Overland Park, Johnson County and around government accountability. Share your story with Isabella.
KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.
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The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are halfway through, with Team USA securing multiple gold, silver and bronze medals.
The KSHB 41 News team isn't just reporting on the Olympics; we're trying out some of the most popular sports, too.
Reporters Isabella Ledonne and Claire Bradshaw put themselves in figure skaters' skates to show that anyone can learn the sport.
Dozens of kids and adults take figure skating lessons at the Kansas City Ice Center in Shawnee.
The team at KCIC showed Bradshaw and Ledonne the ropes, starting with literal ropes.
Figure skaters will train on a rotating platform that lifts them in the air to prepare for the twists on the ice. The device is to help with the skater's vestibule system to train for feeling the whole rotational axis while spinning on the ice.
Bradshaw and Ledonne watched the Kansas City pros before getting into the harness.
"Have you done any twirls?" the KCIC team asked Ledonne.
"Like, one singular twirl," Ledonne responded.
"It's still going to be slow, right?" Bradshaw asked while getting set up.
Bradshaw and Ledonne both skated before, but the lesson at KCIC was about going back to the basics, like how to lace up.
"Make sure your skate laces are loose and they're out," said KCIC professional coach Charmin Savoy. "Pull the tongue forward as much as you can because you want to be able to get your foot entirely in the boot. Once your foot is in the boot, take it and slightly kick the heel just a little bit. That's going to get your foot all the way back in the boot."
While lacing your skates, it's important to get the strings as snug as you can where the hooks start.
After the skates are on, the next step may seem counterintuitive — learning how to fall. Savoy said it happens to every figure skater at some point, and the most important part is getting back up.
"Mimic being a puppy dog," Savoy said while getting up. "Then, you're going to get up like a frog, bring one leg in the front. You can push up off the ice or push up off your knee, then stand up."
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Laced up and prepared to get up after falling, Ledonne and Bradshaw took to the ice.
The reporters learned how to march, glide, dip and swizzle. The combined moves help create momentum to flow across the ice rink.
Throughout the lesson, Savoy explained her journey into the world of ice skating.
She's been on the ice since she was a kid, leaving corporate America to follow her dream as an adult.
"The reason most of us skate is because we love it; that's my passion," Savoy said. "I don't want to do anything else. That's why I left the business world and came back to skating. Our goal is not to go to the Olympics. That's what people think, but our goal is our challenges within ourselves."
Savoy's love for skating started with the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, watching Denise Biellmann do her signature spin.
"There's a place for everyone," Savoy said. "You don't have to jump if you don't want to. If you're an adult and you want to come learn to skate, we'll teach you how to skate."
KCIC typically sees an influx of skaters around the Olympics. You can find out more about lessons here.
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