Mila Shapovalov shares how a pandemic hobby has brought unexpected joys and connection to a new community
As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, disruptions to regular routines brought about lifestyle changes for many people, some with lasting impacts. For Lawrence Livermore resource manager Mila Shapovalov, the pandemic opened a whole new world of inspired movement and creative expression.
“The first few months of having to stay at home were okay, but several months into the pandemic I really started feeling a desire to get out and do some activities that I find enjoyable,” Shapovalov said.
In November 2020, that desire prompted a family trip to an outdoor ice rink in Brentwood, California. The outing rekindled Shapovalov’s life-long interest in figure skating and became the start of a journey to develop a new hobby.
Shapovalov’s love for ice skating began while growing up in Russia. She recalls regularly enjoying the popular winter activity with friends during long Siberian winters.
“I’ve been in love with figure skating all my life,” she said. “Even when I wasn’t skating, I would watch major figure skating competitions. I’m always left in awe when watching professional figure skaters, inspired not only by their artistry, but also impressed with what they’re able to do on the ice. Some of the jumps and the spins that they perform are mind blowing to me.”
Having only been back on an ice rink a few times over the past many years, skating with her family in late 2020 reminded Shapovalov how much she enjoys the sport.
“I just had a wonderful feeling from that experience,” she said. “It brought me so much joy that I thought, ‘why don’t I make this my regular activity and commit myself to improving my skills on the ice?’”
Discovering personal potential
Following the outing, Shapovalov enlisted the mentorship of Adrienne Anderson, a professional figure skating coach, who happily agreed to start giving her private lessons. With coaching and training, she has learned fundamental free skating skills and has started to move on to learn progressively more difficult steps, jumps and spins.
In 2022, she passed the U.S. Figure Skating moves in the field and free skate tests at the adult pre-bronze level, demonstrating her skills before a qualified judge. She completed her bronze level certification in early 2023 and is now working towards the silver level.
Shapovalov credits her coach with continuously inspiring her to set goals, work hard and push her limits.
“I really appreciate having my coach to lead me through this journey,” she said. “I think for a coach, it takes a lot of patience — as it does for the student — because some elements take a long time to learn and some of them can be very complicated. She’s always very supportive and patient and encouraging.”
Shapovalov also describes being driven by an inspirational quote from motorsports racer Bobby Unser, “Success comes from having dreams that are bigger than your fears.”
“That quote really resonates with me, and I’ve seen this play out in different aspects of my life, not just figure skating,” she said. “This sport can be really challenging, but it comes with continued practice. At times, learning a new element for my skating program seems really difficult or maybe even impossible to do. But then, as I set myself a goal, keep trying, and persevere, I’m able to achieve it. It brings a great sense of accomplishment.
“Sometimes we don’t know what we’re capable of until we put in the effort,” she said. “I’m in the process of discovering my potential in this sport.”
A sport for everyone
In Shapovalov’s mind, figure skating was always just a sport for children and youth. As she has become more involved in the ice-skating community, she has met and been inspired by many older skaters.
It’s been eye opening to learn how many other adults figure skate, she said. Learning of others who started the sport later in life has encouraged her on her journey.
“There are a lot more adults doing it than I thought,” Shapovalov said. “That was a misconception I held, but I have discovered that figure skating is really a sport for everyone.”
Overall, Shapovalov has found the figure skating community to be supportive and inclusive. “It’s been wonderful to meet so many different people,” she said. “I’ve made a lot of great friends and am blessed to have them in my life now.”
Skating for a cause
Late last year, Shapovalov participated in the “Sk8 to Eliminate Cancer” event hosted by the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation. The fundraiser was held at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa, commonly known as Snoopy’s Home Ice, an ice rink built and owned by famed Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz.
The event included a 5k skate, where Shapovalov completed more than 35 laps around the ice rink to raise funds for innovative cancer research.
“As I was skating, I was thinking about a colleague that we recently lost due to cancer and some of my family members that have had cancer,” she said. “I was really motivated by the cause. It was a very good and emotional event.”
As one of the top fundraisers for the 5k, Shapovalov was chosen to participate in a group figure skating program to be performed at the gala exhibition before a sold-out crowd later that weekend. The Sparky’s Ice Spectacular was hosted and emceed by Olympic champion Scott Hamilton and included performances by elite competitive skaters Karen Chen, Polina Edmunds, and Kim Navarro.
“I was really impressed by the organization of it,” she said. “I had no prior experience skating with this group of people. We got together for two hours to learn the number choreographed by Kim Navarro and Kim Brack Volante, and then performed it in the evening.
“That whole experience was so magical. Just being part of that atmosphere felt very special.”
Lab’s Got Talent
In 2022, Shapovalov prepared a figure skating program for the Livermore Laboratory Employee Services Association (LLESA) Lab’s Got Talent competition, placing second overall.
Especially in the unusual environment of being isolated from each other, she said the competition was a nice way to connect with colleagues and bring awareness to figure skating.
Shapovalov put a lot of thought into her Lab’s Got Talent program. “I really try to feel the music and understand what it’s all about, and then I try to convey it through my body movements and expressions,” she said.
“Figure skating has enriched my life greatly. I really enjoy telling a story through a figure skating program. It means a lot to me to be able to touch somebody’s heart on an emotional level.”
