SKIMMING along the ice, Sienna Robertson looks right at home as she works her skates effortlessly on the surface at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium.
The 13-year-old from Newcastle is in training for the 2024 Swan Trophy International to be held in Perth on September 23 to 25, following her invitation to compete from the International Skating Union.
"I recently competed at the Hollins Trophy which was the benchmark competition and then I got invited to nominate myself for the international competition. The judges review your points and performance history before they invite you," she said.
It's an exciting time for the St Philip's Christian College Waratah student, who has been figure skating for eight years and reaching her goals under the guidance of Olympian and 12 time Australian national champion, Kailani Craine.
But her love for the sport all started when her mum Sally took her to a Disney on Ice concert.
"I thought let's give it a try and I started private lessons. I think it's such a cool sport especially because not many people do it," she said.
She is currently training at least five days a week with a combination of being on and off the ice.
"I train some mornings and some afternoons, paired with what I do at home. I see a physio regularly and do Pilates and weight training to keep me strong," she said.
Her dedicated effort has led her to achieving her goals on and off the podium but it hasn't always been smooth-skating.
In 2023 she suffered a tear to her quad muscle which left her questioning her path as an elite athlete.
"What comes with this sport is, sometimes you get mental blocks and it can be hard to keep going as well as physical injuries, but it's about the setbacks and the comebacks," she said.
Though Sienna didn't give up, and this year has been her most amazing season yet. Now she has her sights set on winning her first Australian title.
"It would be a dream come true because I've achieved everything up to that point and that's kind of the next step I think," she said.
"I think I'm in a great position. I've had a pretty solid and steady season with no major setbacks or anything so I think I'm on the right track."
"The early mornings can be a challenge, but it's the reward of working hard and the achievement of winning at the end."
Sienna will continue to stay on the Australian circuit after Perth, where she will have about a week to prepare for state championships where she is hoping to qualify in the top four which would send her to nationals.
Next year she plans to put in more international nominations to the Thailand Open and Asian Cup.
Her mum Sally said she was proud of her daughter's work ethic and commitment to something.
"She's a very humble kid and a really hard worker. She is very academic at school, so sometimes I wonder how she balances it all, but we're super proud of her and we will be behind her every step of the way," she said.
