By Tolu Salako
Editorial Page Editor

She is standing on the podium, hand on her heart, flowers in her hand and medal around her neck. The national anthem is playing and she thinks to herself that after 15 years of figure skating, her whole life has lead up to this one moment: 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Now training at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Euless, Coppell resident Ashley Cain began her training at the Valley Ranch hockey rink until both her parents received jobs as coaches in Euless. Starting as a basic skills level skater, it was at Euless where she would improve on her skating and ultimately reach the highest level of skating: senior level.

“Not many parents are willing to coach their own son or daughter, but for [mother Darlene and I] it has been a great learning experience,” Ashley’s father Peter Cain said. “It keeps our family close.”

Ashley, 18, started figure skating at the age of two. With parents as coaches and an older brother involved in hockey, it was imminent that Ashley would grow a liking towards the ice and become exceptional in the sport of figure skating.

“My parents have always been my coaches and it has been great,” Ashley said. “They know how to push me and they always come with me to all of my national and international competitions and are very supportive.”

After attending Denton Creek Elementary and Coppell Middle School North, due to excessive missed days because of competitions and training, Ashley had to make the decision to become homeschooled to receive her high school education. Balancing schoolwork and training everyday, Ashley’s schedule is quite busy.

“I have a pretty full day because I have off and on ice classes all day until 5 p.m.,” Ashley said. “Then I have to do schoolwork somewhere in between that time as well.”

Ashley has already made a name for herself as 2012 junior national silver medalist , 2011 junior pairs champion and 2012 novice pairs champion with partner, Desoto resident Joshua Reagan. Ashley has decided to focus on single skating as a senior and is even more dedicated to be chosen to represent Team USA at Sochi.

“Ashley has great motivation and determination,” Darlene Cain said. “She’s won national and international titles and medals and we are very proud of her.”

Ashley unfortunately did not compete as well as she had hoped at her first senior national competition in 2013, but she did not let this small set back bring her down, it instead made her even harder for future competitions.

“Nationals was not my best experience and since then, I have wanted to be a full on athlete even more,” Ashley said. “I do not want to be known as the ‘almost girl’ anymore, so the experience just made me work harder.”

Ashley’s handwork was shown at her overall win at the Liberty Texas competition and her bronze medal at the international competition, Nebelhorn Trophy where she competed against major names in skating including Miki Ando.

With Winter Olympics in less than five months away and the last Olympic Team qualifiers in January, Ashley is very focused on these major events.

“I really do not think about [qualifiers], when I’m training on the ice,” Ashley said. “I mostly think of how to improve my technique. When competing, I always try to be in the moment, but when training I just worry about jumps, spins and trying to develop muscle memory.”

Since Ashley is only 18, she has quite some time to skate competitively and already has and idea of what she wants to do after she finishes competing.

“My parents traveled with the ice shows and I have always wanted to participate in them as well,” Ashley said. “I know quite a few people in the shows and they have all traveled to places they never thought they would. I would also like to attend college at some point also.”

Ashley hopes to inspire kids who are starting out in the sport and hopes that people find her as motivational and inspiring.

“My best advice I would give people is to always push yourself,” Ashley said. “Sometimes it gets really hard to go to the rink every day, but it is always important to surround yourself with people that support and believe in you.”

With the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi always in the back of Ashley’s mind, Cain continues to strive towards the goal of standing on that podium representing Team USA.