KENT COUNTY, Mich. — It didn't take long for figure skating pair Maria and Ivan to break the ice when they started skating together eight years ago.
That's because the two are siblings, and their coaches are their parents.
"It runs in the family," Ivan said. "Our mom is the skating director here. And I mean, it's a great atmosphere. Great people."
Though they live in Mason, they travel nearly an hour and a half most days to Patterson Ice Center in Grand Rapids. However, that's nothing compared to how far they travel for competitions.
The duo just got back from the Cup of China, an international figure skating competition, where they placed eighth.
"This is our second season with internationals," Ivan said. "Before that we were we weren't age eligible. We just competed domestically."
With Maria being 17 and Ivan being 24, they're always one of the youngest pairs at these competitions. However, their careers started long before now.
"I started when I was three, four years old," Maria said.
Ivan agreed: "Same for me, so basically all our lives."
Though they've been doing it for over a decade each, they encourage everyone to give it a try.
"Try it. It's a lot of fun. I know it's something new for a lot of people, but it's always they can start at any age," Ivan said.
Patterson Ice Center has a program to learn, called Learn to Skate. You can sign up on their website.
If you want to see Maria and Ivan in action, they'll be performing at the rink's Christmas Show on December 16th.
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