“Oh my god. It was the most awesomest thing, ’cause leading up to it, you’re like ‘I can’t do it! I can’t. I can’t! And then, bam, I can!’” said Tonya Harding in the fictionalized account of her life –– “I, Tonya,” after completing a triple axel. The triple axel involves 3.5 rotations, and is so difficult that fewer than 30 female skaters have executed it in competition.
My first time on the ice in over 10 years did not end with a successful triple axel, I’m afraid. It ended, however, with a deep appreciation for figure skaters, all those who work at Chip Kenyon Arena and a bittersweet farewell to a pillar in the Middlebury skating community (and a fellow sports editor).
Figure skating club Co-President Ting Cui ’25.5 was our guide for the day, sifting through boxes of figure skates to find us ones in our size. Cui, a former Team USA figure skater, received a bronze medal at the 2019 World Junior Championships, becoming the first American woman to medal at World Juniors since Gracie Gold in 2012. I was about to get a lesson from the best of the best.
As I laced up my skates in the changing area, the smell of homemade cinnamon hot cocoa and cookies wafted over from where Alianza Latinoamerica y Caribeña was holding a practice in conjunction with the Middlebury Figure Skating Club. A tight-knit, community-focused team, the Middlebury figure skaters hold a learn-to-skate workshop during J-Term and are currently preparing for their Winter Carnival Ice Show, which will include individual and group performances.
I cinched my skates tight and waddled penguin-style out onto Kenyon Arena’s ice, tightly clutching the wall as if any extraneous movement might cause me to slip and fall.
“March forward, one step at a time,” Cui said as I inched off the wall and clumsily made my way across the ice. “There are two edges, inside and outside, and two directions –– back and front,” she continued. With her encouragement, I was slowly making progress.
After 15 minutes of marching and going from edge to edge, I felt like I was zipping across the ice — incessant foot pain was the only thing slowing me down. Then I looked over at Cui and club member Esteban Molina ’27 and instantly saw them flying through turns, spins and jumps at least 20 times faster than me.
I realized at that moment that Tonya Harding (and Cui) were right. I can do it, even if my achievement is making it from one end of Kenyon to the other, sans the triple axel. The ice invites us to challenge ourselves, and Cui has helped create an environment at Middlebury that welcomes skaters of all kinds.
“The people here have so much more to offer than just ice skating. They have unique paths to the sport and are involved in so many different activities,” Cui said. I got a sense of the enriched community from my time in the skate-changing room, where Middlebury students from diverse backgrounds and experience levels shared delicious hot cocoa and humorously debriefed their session.
The rink, although vast in size and spectator capacity, has a cozy feel. “Kenyon is my favorite rink of all time,” Cui said. “It feels like home.”
Adding to the community is Pete Funk, one of the rink’s ice resurfacing Zamboni drivers, who came by to strike up a conversation.
Funk and Butch Atkins drive the Zamboni, often waking up as early as 5 a.m. to lay down fresh ice, and sometimes finishing work as late as 9 p.m. The two have grown to know and respect Cui’s talent and her dedication to Middlebury’s figure skating program.
“Ting is incredible,” Funk said as we watched her execute a spin. “It’s been a joy getting to watch her skate.”
This was a special edition of Amateur vs. Athlete, as three of The Middlebury Campus’ own sports editors — myself, Theo Maniatis ’28.5 and Senior Sports Editor Simon Schmieder ’26 — took to the ice to skate one last time with Cui, our former Senior Sports Editor and the current Business Director for The Campus.
Maniatis and Schmieder agreed with Funk. “The people she’s competing against aren’t full-time students,” Schmieder noted. “She’s going to Middlebury and excelling while also pushing herself to the limit. Her ability to do it all so well is insane.”
“She’s an incredible skater and an incredible person at the same time,” Maniatis added.
“Ting will be impossible to replace,” Schmieder finished.
Cui’s contribution to this school won’t be forgotten as she inspires all of us to keep saying I can — from sports editors to Zamboni drivers to the members of Middlebury’s figure skating team.
Editor’s Note: Ting Cui ’25.5 is the business director and a sports editor for The Campus. She had no involvement in editing this story. Simon Schmieder ’26 is the Senior Sports Editor, and Theo Maniatis ’28.5 is a sports editor.
Kanan Clifford '28.5 (he/him) is a Sports Editor.
Kanan is a probable Molecular Biology/Biochemistry major, with additional interests in history and politics. At Middlebury, he sails, is on the board of the South Asian Students Association, and is an avid baker!
