"Crazy excited" does not begin to describe the emotion Kate Pressgrove, 14, feels to be the recipient of the
Mabel Fairbanks Skatingly Yours Fund's developmental athlete award. The intermediate ladies' skater from Park City, Utah, could not believe the news when she learned she would receive $5,000 from the Fund created to support the training and development of promising figure skaters who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). Much like the namesake of the award, Pressgrove hopes to carry on the legacy of strong Black women who make a difference in figure skating.
"I was 2-years old when I began skating," said Pressgrove, whose aunt was the one responsible for signing her up for lessons. "My aunt didn't want to keep having to hold me up when we went skating during the holidays. [Since then], my mom has been really influential in keeping me going."
Pressgrove is the daughter of a single mother who adopted Pressgrove as a newborn. Throughout Pressgrove's life, her mother, Lisa, has worked tirelessly to keep her daughter in the sport – frequently working 12-hour shifts as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse.
"Figure skating is an expensive sport to train for, but she has always made sure I can get to where I need to be," Pressgrove expressed with her endless gratitude for her mother.
However, Pressgrove has also taken it upon herself to actively look for ways she can financially contribute to her training and pursue her dreams of being an Olympian. Besides the Fairbanks Fund, Pressgrove has been recognized by Park City's Youth Sports Alliance's Dare to Dream Scholarship for various awards. But, when looking for financial opportunities last summer, it was the Skatingly Yours Fund that caught her eye.
"I saw the application for the Fund's scholarship and thought, 'Wow, this totally matches me'" Pressgrove shared. "So, I thought it would be a cool thing to apply to."
According to the Fund's application, awards are given to figure skating athletes who demonstrate and emphasize the attributes of good sportsmanship, commitment, perseverance and determination in striving to be their very best in the sport. The developmental award is specifically for a regional and higher competitor who competes at the juvenile level and up.
"Mabel's dream and goal was to support skaters who were under financial strain or who didn't have the equal access in the sport," said Sultana Muhammad, a former student of Mabel Fairbanks and the Fund's selection committee representative from the Fairbanks Disciples group. "But, she would say her focus was to make sure skaters of color were being represented and had the opportunity to move forward in the sport without financial inhibitions."
When Muhammad was growing up and training with Fairbanks, Fairbanks made the extra effort to drive Muhammad to early morning practice sessions so that Muhammad's mother could get to work on time. Thanks to Fairbanks' influence, support and community of fellow skaters of color, Muhammad was able to grow and succeed as a Black skater. She now serves as a coach and skating director at the Laura Sims SkateHouse in West Philadelphia where the staff is predominantly Black and reflects the makeup of the families served.
"When I started skating at the Culver City Ice Arena, I skated with at least 12 other African Americans. I thought it was normal," Muhammad reflected. "But, by the time they hit their teens, many of them quit. Being a teenager in the sport is hard. It's very emotional and mentally challenging."
Muhammad continued to explain skaters of colors often have to deal with challenges beyond financial barriers, such as microaggressions and overt racism in the skating community. While Muhammad believes financial support is important, psychological and moral support are needed even more.
"We [the Fund's selection committee] can see Kate is very determined and clear about what she wants in skating," began Muhammad. "And, we want to make sure she knows people are supporting her because it makes all the difference."
Last fall, Pressgrove won both of her 2021 U.S. Figure Skating Championship Series presented by Toyota competitions in Spokane, Washington, and Henderson, Nevada. Her next goal is to compete internationally for Team USA and, eventually, qualify for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy. If she makes it, she will be only the fourth Black skater to represent Team USA on the world's biggest athletic stage. Fairbanks' former student Tai Babilonia was the first to do so in 1976 as she competed with her pairs partner Randy Gardner. In 1988, Debi Thomas followed and became the first African American to win a medal (bronze) in any event during the Winter Games. Today, she is still the only African American to win a medal in figure skating at the Winter Olympics. After Thomas, it took 18 years for another African American to represent the U.S. in figure skating. Aaron Parchem competed with pairs partner Marcy Hinzmann at the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy.
"I think being Black in figure skating is a pretty cool thing. It makes [me] want to work harder," said Pressgrove. "Mabel was influential for her perseverance and inspired so many young skaters. She never gave up even when the world kind of shut her down. I think I can carry on her legacy by constantly working to be my best and working to be kind and helpful just like her."
