11-year-old Alexandria ice skater has eyes set on Olympics after national championship title

Young ice skating champ hopes to compete in Olympics

A local ice skater who recently won a national championship has her eyes set on the Olympics.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - A local ice skater who recently won a national championship has her eyes set on the Olympics.

11-year-old Sofia Bezkorovainaya took her latest step toward heading to the international competition, beating more than 250 skaters across the country, some as old as 13.

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"I stay in the morning for about two hours and then I go home and do some school and then I go back and skate for another two or three hours," said Bezkorovainaya.

She wakes up at 5 a.m. every day to train with breaks to do her school work.

"I do online school, Virginia Virtual Academy is like really, really comfortable," she says.

She trains with her coach Inna Volyanskaya, a former professional figure skater herself, five hours a day on the ice as well as dance and ballet classes. Volyanskaya says Sofia has great potential and will go far in the sport.

"She never gives up," she said. "She’s always like, ‘Can I try this, can I try this?’ She right now is asking if she can do triple axles. It’s not just me pushing her, she’s pushing herself."

Recently, Sofia won the title of 2022 U.S. National Figure Skating Juvenile Champion, scoring the highest ever recorded for the competition.

The national championship was just one step towards accomplishing her goal of one day competing in the Olympics.

"My hope is that she [enjoys] figure skating like she’s enjoying right now," said Volyanskaya. "This is my first hope. And second of course her dream comes true, and she’s dreaming to compete in the Olympics."

And for aspiring figure skaters out there – Sofia’s piece of advice, "To not give up, to believe in what you do and go for it."

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As for what’s next for Sofia, she plans to put together a new more difficult routine and prepare for competitions in the new season.