Wishaw figure skater Lia Wilson has been left delighted after gaining qualification and selection for the 2021/22 British Development Squad.
The 12-year-old represents East Kilbride Ice Figure Skating Club and has won competitions across Britain since taking up the sport at just five years of age.
She is coached by world and European Level 4 coach, Silvanna Cameron, where she trains five-days-a-week from 6AM in East Kilbride.
Wilson’s Mum, Laura, has been delighted with her daughter’s progress: “She is a competitive figure skater and it’s what she’s been doing since she was five.
“She just recently competed down in London and that’s what has earned her qualification for the Great Britain Development Squad. It’s a really decent standard.
“When she was nine, she competed in Latvia, so that was good for her at the time considering her age.”
The Covid pandemic threw a spanner in the works for the EK and Wishaw youngster’s progress. Ice rinks were shut for most of the pandemic’s peak and only opened again in April this year, following small reprieves after 2020’s first lockdown.
Mum Laura managed to get her daughter abroad to ensure that her skill level was still maintained at a high standard.
She explained: “Just before we went into lockdown in March last year, she was due to compete at a qualifier for the European Championships, which would have happened around April at that time.
“The pandemic saw to that so she went just over a year with hardly any ice time at all. We got her over to Belgium to do some training, just to get her on the ice more than anything else.
“She’s come back after the ice rinks opened up again in the UK in April. To come back after all that time off the ice is really good. We are all really proud of her.”
Teenager Wilson will rub shoulders with some of Britain’s best young skaters at the UK Championship. It has also earned her more trips abroad, with Bulgaria and the arctic nation of Iceland suggested as possible destinations.
Plenty of effort has gone in, and Wilson’s mum couldn’t be prouder of her daughter: “Lia really enjoys it, which is more important than anything else. She is at East Kilbride for 6AM and then she’s got to go to school, and the mad rush to get there.
“Then she does her school day. She puts in a lot of work and effort and she is also very good for her age. Her aim now is to get in the top 10 at the British Championship.
“Then she keeps her place in the squad which means she can attend more international tournaments. She’ll get her international allocation for getting into the squad this time.
“She’ll probably go away at the start of next year. We aren’t sure where yet, but we think it might be Bulgaria or possibly Iceland. But we don’t know the details on that yet - we just know she’ll get her international allocation.”
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