AMHERST, NY- Two young local skaters who are now wearing medals around their necks and preparing to compete on the national stage are this week's "Great Kids."
16-year-old Caroline Tierney and 7-year-old Adalyn Nowakowski took high honors at the Empire State Winter Games in February and qualified to compete in the State Games of America in Virginia in 2019.
Both girls got their start figure skating with the Amherst Skating Club. Tierney's coach said her dedication is paying off.
"She's a super hard worker, not just on ice but off ice, too," said Cheryl Nowakowski, Tierney's coach and Adalyn's mother.
Tierney practices three days a week, and balances that with teaching figure skating, and being an "A" student at Nardin Academy.
"Even if I have the worst day of my entire life, as soon as I get on the ice I forget about it," said Tierney. "It's like magic, I just don't think about it."
Tierney earned a silver medal at the Empire State Winter Games in the Intermediate division. She'll be joined at the State Games by Nowakowski, who earned a gold medal at the ESWG in the Beginner division.
As soon as she learned how to walk, Nowakowski's mother said she learned how to skate. The first grade student at Glendale Elementary in the Sweet Home School District is quiet off the ice, but transforms when she hits the rink.
"She's very shy. But when she gets out there, you can tell she comes to life and absolutely loves to perform," said Nowakowski's coach Cristen Nowka.
Nowakowski's focused and driven, and has one goal in mind - to go to the Olympics.
If and when that happens, she can always say she got her start dazzling audiences with the Amherst Skating Club and its Learn to Skate program. Click here for more information.
To nominate a "Great Kid" to be featured on Channel 2's Daybreak, e-mail details to Melissa.Holmes@wgrz.com or call 716-849-2216.