At 10 years old, Momo Zhan already knows what it feels like to fly. Not literally, of course, but when she is skating fast at Sno-King Ice Arena in Snoqualmie, she says the wind on her face makes everything else blur away. This past season, that feeling carried her all the way to a national title.
Momo won the Juvenile Girls title at the U.S. Figure Skating Pacific Coast Sectional Championships this year, earning the highest score in the country and a spot on the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Team. She also recently achieved something even rarer: passing four Senior Gold-level tests across four figure skating disciplines.
According to Ashley Wyatt, Director of Skating at Sno-King Ice Arenas Snoqualmie, it places Momo among the youngest and most exceptional athletes ever to reach that level within U.S. Figure Skating.
When the pandemic hit, Momo’s mom was looking for a safe, masked-up activity where her daughter could burn off some energy. She found Highland Ice Arena, and Momo was on the ice at five and a half years old.
The progress came quickly, and so did the love for the sport. “I fell in love with it because I started seeing progress almost immediately,” Momo said. “That feeling of mastering a new move was so rewarding.”
Highland closed in 2022, and she transitioned to solo ice dance. The move paid off. By age seven, she had earned a National Solo Ice Dance Silver Medal, and at eight, she landed her first double axel.
Momo trains 10 to 14 hours a week on the ice, squeezing in practice every morning before school. Her mom says the early rising has become just part of who Momo is. “Waking up early is just a part of who she is; it’s as natural to her as eating three meals a day,” she said.
Her afternoons are dedicated to schoolwork and to practicing piano, violin, and clarinet. During school breaks, she heads to Park City, Utah, for supplemental training under Tiffany McNeil, gaining a competitive perspective outside her home rink while staying grounded at Sno-King. Back in Snoqualmie, she trains under Coach Vladimir Fedorov, a former Russian Olympic ice dancer, as well as Coaches Vadim Akolzin and Alanna Collins in the past.
Winning the national title was not something Momo saw coming. “I was so happy that I could finish my program smoothly, just like my coaches told me to do,” she said. “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to win Sectionals, and I never dreamed I would get the highest score in the country to earn the National title. It was such a wonderful surprise.”
For Momo, the proudest moment of her skating life is not the national title but something quieter. Becoming a Quadruple Gold Medalist has been a dream since the day she first stepped on the ice, and she said that seeing that goal finally come true means everything to her.
Looking ahead, she has her sights set on landing triple jumps and triple-triple combinations, all while keeping her grades up. “Over the next few years, my goal is to have all of my triple jumps solid and to start landing triple-triple combinations in my programs,” she said. “At the same time, it’s really important to me to keep my school grades up.”
What stands out most about Momo, according to Snoqualmie Figure Skating Club Events Chair Gala Panev, is not her trophy case but her character. “She has a quiet confidence and strength that radiates outwards,” she said. “She is kind and respectful to all.”
The impact on younger skaters at Sno-King has been tangible. Seeing someone from their own rink earn that kind of recognition makes the dream feel attainable. “They see someone from their own community being recognized, and that makes the dream feel attainable,” she said.
Behind the medals, mom Rebecca Zhang says the family measures success differently. “While we are proud of her medals, what makes us proudest is seeing how much Momo has grown as a person,” she said. “She used to be very timid and shy, but the skating community has truly helped her blossom.”
Part of that community is the rink itself, where Momo skates alongside retirees starting for the first time, cancer survivors, and coaches who have returned to the ice after brain tumor surgeries.
According to her mom, watching them has taught Momo something no classroom could. “These aren’t stories she would see at school,” she said. “By watching them, she learns what life is truly about: never giving up and knowing it’s never too late to pursue a passion as long as you have the heart for it.”
What keeps the family grounded is a simple philosophy. “We don’t put pressure on her to reach a specific destination,” she said. “We just want her to take everything step-by-step.”
Sno-King Ice Arena offers year-round Learn to Skate lessons for all ages, including adaptive skating programs for those with special needs, with a pathway into advanced training and competitive opportunities for those who want to follow in Momo’s footsteps. Snoqualmie Figure Skating Club is a registered nonprofit run by dedicated parent volunteers, responsible for creating a safe environment that allows its members to participate, develop and achieve success in the sport of figure skating.
At Sno-King, Momo Zhan is known for more than her medals. When she lands a good jump, her rink mates applaud. When she falls, they check on her. “My favorite part is having like-minded friends who support me and coaches who make me laugh by teasing me during practice,” she said. “Between the friendships and the performance opportunities, it’s a wonderful sport to be part of.”
For a 10-year-old who has already made national history, she is exactly where she belongs.
