Two talented 12-year-old figure skaters are jumping for joy after securing places at the British Figure Skating Championships at Ice Sheffield on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 April.

The pair – Emily Brodie and Skye Stephenson – are two of only 40 girls from all over the UK to be invited to compete in the Basic Novice category.

Emily’s qualifying score was 29.76 and Skye’s qualifying score was 25.38 – personal bests (PBs) for both.

We caught up with Emily and Skye at Linx Ice Arena last week to find out more about their ice skating journeys to date and how they’re feeling after receiving the good news…  

Q. How old were you when you first got into ice skating?

Emily: I was five or six the first time I went skating. Our whole family used to go to the public sessions on Saturday afternoons because my mum liked ice skating when she was little.

Skye: I was five when I started skating and went weekly to the Learn to Skate sessions.

Q. What attracted you to the sport initially?

Emily: It was good fun – I would skate around playing chase with my brother and sister and my dad! Then we started doing to Learn to Skate, and I worked my way through all the levels and started doing competitions when I was eight.

Skye: My Uncle from Canada took me to one of the toddler sessions when I was four and I knew as soon as I stepped on the ice, I loved it. I remember begging my Mum to sign me up for Skate UK.

Q. What do you love most about ice skating?

Emily: Definitely the jumps, especially when I land them! I also really like going to all the competitions because I like being able to show off the things I’ve been practising and see if the judges think I’ve improved.

Skye: I love competitions because I really enjoy performing my program in front of people and the judges. I also love jumps because I love the feeling when I land them. I also love practicing and going to competitions with my friends.

Q. Who is your biggest inspiration?

Emily: British Champion Natasha McKay, because she is a great skater and she goes all over the world, competing in the biggest competitions, like the Olympics and the World Championships. She trains right here in Scotland so all the young skaters see her and realise how far they could go.

Skye: I’ve always been inspired by the older girls at the ice rink and my coach, Sara.

Q. How many times per week do you usually ice skate?

Emily: I train five times a week on ice but I also do a lot of off-ice training at home, like stretching and practicing my jumps and spins. I go jogging to keep me fit so I can do my programme without getting out of breath.

Skye: I skate six times a week, one of those times is with the Aberdeen Synchronised Ice Skating club.

Q. You’re competing in The British Figure Skating Championships Final in the Basic Novice category in Sheffield next month, how do you feel?

Emily: I’m really excited and proud – it’ll be a great experience.

Skye: Amazing! I am so proud of myself and glad that all of my hard work has paid off. I’ve always wanted to go the British Championships and I’m so happy that I’ve earned a place to compete there.

Q. What do you have planned for your routine when you compete at Sheffield?

Emily: I will perform a two-and-a-half-minute programme to the Masquerade Waltz, which includes four double jumps and two spins.    

Skye: I will perform a two-and-a-half-minute programme to La La Land, which includes four jumps, two spins and a step sequence.       

Q. Tell us a bit about your coach(es) at Linx Ice Arena in Aberdeen – how important has their support been?

Emily: I’m lucky to work with five coaches – Ann Cronin, Jon Behari, Nicole Henderson and Danielle Lawrence and Andrea Law – and they’re all amazing. They encourage me to try new things all the time, like more difficult elements and different combinations of jumps and spins. My lessons are always fun, and my coaches give me really positive feedback which pushes me to keep trying, even when I’m finding something hard. They’ve taught me that if I keep going, I’ll get there in the end!

Skye: Extremely important, without her support and help I wouldn’t be where I am now. I am coached by Sara Paterson and she always helps me to believe in myself. 

Q. What advice would you give to anyone new looking to try ice skating for the first time?

Emily: I’d say they should give it a try because it’s a lot of fun.

Skye: Never give up, because I 100% guarantee that you’ll fall, but you have to get up and just try again.

We wish Emily and Skye the best of luck for when they compete!

If you would like to give ice skating a go, whether at a public session or through a private lesson, then contact LinxIceArena@sportaberdeen.co.uk or find out more on our dedicated webpage here.