Abu Dhabi: Eight years ago at the age of 12, Abu Dhabi figure skater Zahra Lari watched a film that would change her life, fuel her Olympic dream and help her inspire the astonishing growth of ice skating in the UAE capital.
Lari told Gulf News: “When I was 12 years old, I watched the movie Ice Princess and fell in love with ice skating. The thought of gliding freely on the ice with no restrictions was so satisfying.
“I liked the fact that it’s an art and sport at the same time, combining two worlds, which I had for so long wanted to be a part of into one.”
Lari’s skating odyssey began when she started training at Zayed Sports City, which she says has become her ‘second home’.
She has become the poster girl for the capital’s sporting hub and says Zayed Sports City’s (ZSC) unrivalled facilities provide ‘everything a champion needs’ as she targets qualification for the 2018 Winter Games.
The 20-year-old said of her grandiose ambition: “I’m working so hard and skate every day for six hours a day in order to be able to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
“I’m so grateful to have a great facility at Zayed Sports City, where I can train every day and be surrounded by great staff. Zayed Sports City is my second home. I am also thankful for my sponsors Fatima Bint Mubarak Academy for all their support.
“Without the academy and ZSC, I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today.”
Apart from her rigorous training regime at home, Lari has seized every opportunity to enter top competitions abroad to further her skills and experience.
She said: “I took part of the dream programme, which was held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2013. This was a great experience for me because I got to see the city where the 2018 Winter Olympics will be held.
“I also took first place in Budapest, Hungary, two years in a row in interpretative category. This year I went to Iceland and got a gold medal in the senior category and this was a huge achievement for me since it was my first year competing as a senior skater. Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi held the first International Skating Union (ISU) international competition, the FBMA Trophy, and even though I placed fourth.
“It was a great competition for me because I got my highest score ever in an ISU competition.”
Lari passionately embraces her status as Emirati sporting role model and hopes she can inspire others to follow in her footsteps.
She said: “A lot of the up-and-coming Emirati skaters do see me as their role model and that’s an honour for me and I’ll do whatever I can to show them dreams do come true. I do think that ZSC’s facilities can result in Emirati sporting champions.
“They provide everything a champion needs.”
ZSC offers a ‘Learn to Skate’ programme for children aged five and over and an adult scheme for those who are 16-plus — and both are flourishing, according to general manager Barry Bremner.
He said: “Zayed Sports City’s ice rink is a unique venue, in that it offers a range of fun sports on the only Olympic-size surface in the city. We provide programmes for people who are lacing their skates for the first time all the way up to those with Olympic dreams, like Zahra Lari.
“Learn to Skate is a great way to start on the ice and the kids’ programmes have grown tremendously, with nearly 2,000 registrations last year. Our adult programme has been full since it launched in November last year. Learn to Skate participants often join our figure-skating or ice-hockey teams. We also have a really interesting sport called ringette, which has gathered momentum and piqued interest for a lot of people.”
He added: “It’s been exciting to watch as ice-based sports grow, seeing the community embrace these new offerings, and hosting major international events like the President’s Ice Hockey Cup and the FBMA Trophy. In terms of growth, our venue is at capacity during peak times and we’re now considering how to activate during the standard work hours.
“We already welcome thousands of schoolchildren each year and are exploring what programmes can serve even more people during the daytime hours.”
