2023 U.S. Solo Dance Finals by Miya Zamcho

Hi! My name is Miya Zamcho and this is my third year qualified for national solo dance. I skate in the Junior Solo Combined event. I am 16 years old and I train with Max Katchanov and Katrina Shalin. I have been skating since I was 5 years old and now I am a senior in high school. I am so excited to take you with me during the Solo dance finals in Chicago, Illinois! 

Thursday, September 14, 2023

My morning started with me skating at my home rink, Ashburn Ice House, in Ashburn, Virginia. My friends already left for Nationals earlier this week but my event doesn’t start until tomorrow. After practice, we took an Uber to the Dulles International airport and flew to the O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. The flight was 2 hours long. It was a bit of a struggle navigating our way through the airport because of how large it was. We finally made it out and got our rental car to head to the hotel.

It took us 30 minutes longer than we were supposed to because of traffic. After the hotel, we decided to sightsee in downtown Chicago. This trip normally is 30 minutes but because of traffic it was 1 hour and 10 minutes. When we arrived, we walked around the city for a while until we decided to eat dinner at the House of Blues. I got a fried chicken sandwich and my mom and sister got a cheeseburger. It was so one of the best chicken sandwiches I’ve had in a while.

After dinner, we took a 90 minute river cruise through the canals. It was really fun and we learned about the architecture of the tall skyscrapers around us. We took lots of photos and had such a blast. Despite the fun we had today, I am exhausted and ready to get back on the ice tomorrow and compete!

~ Miya