Hard-working, perseverant, and loyal to her sport, junior Anna Ryan is a role model student and semi-professional athlete at SHS. Ryan is well-known around the school for her figure skating ability. Having skated since she was three, Ryan’s background in skating provides an extensive influence on her life.

Being a competitive figure skater wasn’t just an interest to Ryan, both her mother and her aunt have worked as coaches for 30 years. Rather than sending her to daycare, Ryan’s mother would let her play on ice and watch her. Ryan became serious about the sport around third grade, and began training for competitions.

Throughout her career, Ryan has competed in close to 5,000 competitions as a skater for the Skating Club of Boston. As well as competitions, Ryan participates in Theater on Ice, which combines skating with elements of theater. It consists of 24 skaters who are chosen by Team USA to represent at the competition. Ryan has made quite a name for herself;” she became the national champion last May and a world champion last April for theater skating. She skates at the Intermediate Junior level but is looking to move up to senior level next year. 

Skating has a substantial impact on Ryan’s life. Unlike other sports, skating has no ‘one’ season. Ryan skates year-round, both in single skating and in theater skating. Often, Ryan finds it difficult to keep up with her academics and social life with skating. Due to her high skating level, practices are usually mandatory. Ryan always prioritizes her grades and school over skating, as they are very important to her. Ryan strives to do her best and her actions reflect it.

As well as skating competitively, Ryan also works as a volunteer on the Junior Activities Committee at her rink, “ We set up a lot of events for the kids in the community at the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, which is this amazing facility,” said Ryan. “We make different events for our different audiences,” Ryan has even gotten the chance to work with several professional skaters and even former Olympic athletes such as Nancy Kerrigan.

Ryan doesn’t see the Olympics in her future as a skater, but she is looking to skate for her college and skate for a club. Several colleges have already reached out to Ryan about trying out with their teams. She is looking forward to continuing her love of skating in the future.

Ryan emphasized how skating has heavily influenced not just her life and her future, but also who she is as a person, “It shaped me for who I am today, a lot of skating I worked with the team and I’m really grateful for the opportunities skating has given to me and all the friendships it has given me. Those are friends that I’m going to have ‘till the day I die. Those are friends that I’m going to have forever, and I really am grateful.”