Burlington figure skater gliding into national spotlight

Nearly 15 years later, the 5-foot-5 Burlington teen is gearing up to compete in a national competition, one that could establish her as one of the country’s top junior figure skaters.

“I used to watch Ryan play hockey in the backyard and wanted to learn how to skate so I could play with him,’’ said Theurer earlier this week, in between practice sessions at the Burlington Ice Palace.

“Once I could skate, I got into group classes at Ice Palace and then got serious about figure skating when I was 9,’’ she said. “I’m definitely taller than a typical skater. Most of them are like 5 feet, so it wasn’t a natural fit for me and I had to work to get here.’’

At the end of the month, Theurer will travel to Colorado Springs to compete in the State Games of America (July 30-Aug. 2). She qualified with her third-place finish in the junior division at the Bay State Games competition this past winter. She also competed in the State Games in 2005.

Working with her coaches, Christina Welch of Woburn and Amanda D’Ascoli, the Burlington High senior will spend the next month preparing two routines, one of which she debuted at the Bay State Games and has been perfecting since last October.

“That’s how she is. You could see it when she was very young; she would always make sure she was on time and utilize her sessions to their best,’’ said Welch, who began working with Theurer when she was 3.

“She’s incredibly driven, incredibly motivated, and those are the kind of kids who will succeed in this sport. Emily will just work on something over and over until she’s satisfied with it.’’

Off the ice, Theurer’s dedication is evident too: she is ranked third academically in her class.

A member of the National Honor Society and a straight-A student, Theurer edged out 185 other applicants to receive the Verizon Future Leader’s Scholarship this spring.

Also the president of the Community Service Club and a peer mentor, Theurer volunteers her time coaching in the Ice Palace’s Learn-to-Skate program.

Her passion for giving back was cultivated during a trip to Asia two years ago. As part of the Pathway to China program, Theurer spent two weeks traveling to Hong Kong, Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai.

Spending time in various schools and classrooms throughout the country exposed Theurer to a new culture, one that has kept her humble despite her impressive resume.

“I remember being there in a small village outside Xi’an and we were handing out gifts to kids,’’ Theurer said. “I came back thinking I was so lucky, and I really wanted to volunteer my time when I could once I was home again.’’

When the stress of academics and athletics become a bit overwhelming, Theurer recalls a memory of teaching young Chinese children about figure skating while walking the Great Wall.

“I definitely learned a lot about gratitude and being thankful for what you have and what you work for,’’ she said.

“Some of the kids didn’t even know what figure skating was, so that kind of puts things into perspective when I get stressed about balancing my schedule. Now, skating is my stress relief. It’s my fun when I’m out of school and I’m not studying.’’

Next year, Theurer said, she plans on testing to receive a senior-freestyle skating certificate. She is currently a junior-freestyle and senior-movement skater. When she’s not on the ice for her two-hour training sessions, Theurer hits the gym for strength training three times per week. She also takes ballet classes to improve her on-ice agility and skills.

“She really is a treat. She’s the type of kid a coach can learn things from,’’ said Welch. “She’s into it enough where she is involved in her improvement. I know I leave our sessions having felt like it was a collaboration with her, and I think she’ll be a really great coach someday. She just has that knack for connecting with people.’’

Sapna Pathak can be reached at sportsgalsp@gmail.com