A local woman who’s been figure skating her whole life will be joining her synchronized skate team in Finland next month as she caps off her college career with a performance at the world championships.

Haley Weilbacher grew up in Monroe County, graduating from Waterloo High School in 2021.

As she explained, she was essentially destined to go into ice skating, inheriting her passion for the sport from her mother.

“My mom grew up skating on ponds near her house, so she had dreams of me learning how to skate so we could skate together,” Weilbacher said. “She enrolled me in some beginner classes, and I did that for a few years. At the age of 5, she signed me up for my first synchronized skating team, so that’s where I found the team aspect of it, and I haven’t left it behind since.”

Weilbacher offered a description of synchronized ice skating. Like the more widely-known sport of synchronized swimming, skating involves 16 athletes on the ice, all of them coming together to display different elements, shapes and movements in an athletic performance that also features an artistic aspect.

Having competed where she could over the years given the lack of skating opportunities in the Monroe County area, Weilbacher has continued performing through college as she attends Northeastern University in Boston, pursuing a degree in chemical engineering.

Now in her senior year of college, she’s been competing on the Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team in New York, a skating group established in 2001 which has a substantial record of national championships and other wins and currently involves 14 competitive lines with a total of roughly 240 skaters.

Weilbacher spoke to her continued passion for figure skating, expressing an appreciation for the complexity and challenge of the sport as well as the distinct feeling of gliding along the ice.

She also painted a picture of what it’s like for her to be on the rink alongside the rest of her team. Weilbacher noted the focus she has to maintain during the performance, keeping her head in the game with some keywords that help her remember all the aspects of the routine.

“We get to take a warm-up lap around the rink before we begin our program,” Weilbacher said. “That’s really when I try to take in the audience and really feel the experience of the competition arena. But once the music starts, I really try to focus in on my job.”

She also had plenty to say about the cooperative elements of synchronized skating.

“I love the teamwork aspect of it since you’re able to rely on your teammates when you’re having a bad day,” Weilbacher said. “If you’re not feeling your best, you can always turn to them to make you feel better or to help you with the program if you’re struggling.”

Weilbacher further emphasized an appreciation for her fellow Skyliners seniors and the support they’ve shown one another over the years, whether they’re pushing through a competition or sickness.

She voiced a similar appreciation for her coaches. “Our coaches are also super supportive,” Weilbacher said. “I think they also challenge us. They give us really intricate and complex choreography because they know that we’re capable of it, just to make sure that our programs are the best that they can possibly be and that we stand out amongst the crowd.”

Weilbacher also recalled a few fond memories from her time skating with the Skyliners, particularly noting how, during her freshman year in 2022, she was able to represent Team USA at an international competition.

“That was just a really special moment,” Weilbacher said. “Getting to hear the announcer say ‘Representing the United States of America…’ I think is a moment I’ll never forget.”

While she generally spoke about the memories she’s made spending time with teammates over the years, she also described how her team’s very recent performance in Colorado for the national championships was a major highlight of her skating career.

Weilbacher stressed the importance of nationals and how nerve-wracking the performance was given how it was among the largest competitions she’s been in – not to mention how the Skyliners Senior team was one of two senior level teams to qualify for world championships.

Her mother, Dawn Weilbacher, offered great praise for Haley. Dawn recalled how her own passion for skating rubbed off on her daughter quite easily.

She spoke to Haley’s passion and dedication for the sport over the years, also noting how she went to Boston largely for the skating opportunities and has done well as she balances both her athletics and education.

“This is her senior year of college, and she finally made it to the highest level team there is in the country, and then they qualified for world, so it’s a perfect ending to her college skating career,” Dawn said.

As she and the rest of the team look forward to the international championships in April, Haley spoke with pride about what she and her teammates have been able to accomplish through their training.

With graduation coming in just a few months, she said she hopes to keep skating as a part of her life moving forward. 

For now, she’s focused on really enjoying the experience of performing on an international stage again.

“I think there will be less pressure at our next competition because it is our final event, so we’ll really just try to enjoy the feeling of being at the world championships because not everyone gets to do that,” Haley said.