Isabeau Levito Driven by Hard Work, Big Dreams on Eve of Junior Debut at U.S. Championships

When Isabeau Levito was 3 years old, she saw her mom watching figure skating on TV.
 
It was something her mom would do frequently, but on this particular instance, Levito began imitating everything she saw the skaters doing.
 
Soon after, her mom took her to a nearby ice rink, and Levito lit up with excitement just seeing a pair of skates beside the rink.
 
It wasn't long before she was put in lessons.
 
Levito's first memory of being on the ice came several years later, when she was around 6 years old.
 
"There was this older student that my coach would teach, and she was old enough that she would give me some little lessons," Levito said. "And I was doing this spiral in my program, and I remember she told me, 'Pretend you're in a jungle.'
 
"That's my first memory of being on the ice," she said, laughing. "I think she meant like, look fascinated, or be like a bird or something, I would guess."
 
While still maybe a touch confused by that early advice, Levito has successfully managed to navigate the jungle of a figure skating career and is now one of the most promising rising stars in the U.S.
 
In a women's field that has been dominated by Russians as of late, Levito has been turning heads with her similar style and ability.
 
"I always admired Evgenia Medvedeva, but as of right now I really look up to Alena Kostornaia," Levito said. "I really love the way she moves on the ice, her extensions and her landings. She lands with the same speed she goes into a jump with."
 
Already a two-time medalist at the U.S. Championships – gold in juvenile in 2018, and silver in intermediate in 2019 – Levito will be competing at the junior level at the 2020 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina. The junior ladies will compete Jan. 22-23.
 
Levito has been competing at the novice level internationally as she's still too young to compete at the junior level. Earlier this year she won bronze as an advanced novice at the Asian Trophy. Additionally, she won the gold medal in the novice competition at the U.S. Challenge Skate, a domestic competition with an international panel of judges.
 
"I feel like I made progress throughout the season," she said.
 
That being said, she's not at all nervous about making the leap to juniors, skipping the novice level at the U.S. Championships.
 
"We felt like I was advanced enough and wanted to push myself," she said. "I feel very confident with my training."
 
Still just 12 years old, Levito is all business when it comes to skating, and sees her past medals at the U.S. Championships as stepping-stones to what's possible in the future.
 
"It was encouraging," she said, "because it felt like I worked, and I worked hard, and I saw the results that I worked for."
 
Most of Levito's time is dedicated to skating, as she's online schooled through the International Virtual Learning Academy. The seventh-grader completes her classes online, often at the rink but sometimes from home on weekends.
 
Levito spends two hours a day on the ice, plus an hour of off-ice training, and 45 minutes of ballet every other day.
 
It's a big commitment, and Levito says there have been times she wished she was at normal school with her friends.
 
"When I first started (going to school online) I felt like it was something new, it was fun," she said. "And eventually I started looking at my friends and how they're in school. But then I realized that I do this for skating, and for the sport, so I feel like it's better. I know what I'm working towards."
 
Levito's short program this season is set to "Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps" and "Sway," while her long program is set to "Malaguena" by Stanley Black.
 
"I like to skate with strong music," Levito said. "I like how one program is a stronger piece of music, because I push faster with the strong music, and it's a lot of my personality. And another (big part) of my personality is pretty sassy sometimes, and that's why the short program is really nice."
 
Heading into her first U.S. Championships as a junior, Levito hopes to simply skate clean.
 
"I just want to skate my best, to be happy with myself, and have a really good experience," she said."
 
Despite her modest aspirations for the U.S. Championships, Levito has big dreams for her future.
 
"My goal is to get to the Olympics in six years, since I won't be old enough for the next one," Levito said. "But in the next six years, I will be old enough."

The 2020 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be live and on demand on the Figure Skating Pass on NBC Sports Gold. Tickets are available at ncskate2020.com.