- Members of the Utah Figure Skating Club, of which I'm not one, started on an outdoor rink, very similar to the one I'm on right now.

A lot has changed since, back then in the 1950s, for one athletes practice indoors and a new generation of leaders and skaters are reshaping the idea of who belongs on the ice in Utah.

-I feel like she was made for it.

(skates clanging) She was quite fearless when she first started.

- So I guess it wasn't that good of a run.

Most of the time, my mind's kind of blank when I skate.

(soft music) You can be so stressed and then you step on the ice and it's just like all goes away.

(soft music) - It really is impressive.

She has not been skating long in the world of figure skating for how much she's accomplished.

(soft music) - I am Elidi Lawson.

When I first started skating, I'd see people doing things, not really know anything about the movement.

I'd be like, I should try that.

(soft music) Most kids start at like five years old, three years old, but I started at 10.

- 10 is considered late In figure skating.

(soft music) - Sometimes I feel a little guilty because she started asking me when she was probably three and I just kinda dragged my feet a lot.

(soft music) Because I knew what she would have to face and what she would have to experience.

Being black in Utah and having these biracial daughters, I always wanted them to be proud of who they are.

I always tried to find people that looked like them, and so I remember taking Elidi to California, went to LA to see Misty Copeland.

That inspired her.

We joined the Utah Figure Skating Club, which is actually the oldest skating club in Utah.

The club was dying.

There wasn't any leadership and they would have to merge with the Salt Lake Club.

I called to the current president and said, what position do you have left?

And it was the president's job and I took on that role.

(group cheering) (engine roaring) - There's not a lot of diversity in the rinks in Utah or like pretty much anywhere.

- It is really hard.

There's not a lot of black people in skating.

Very, very few.

Isabel surprised me.

She has an advantage, I mean, that she's watched her big sister do these things.

When you are judged on how good your costume is and you show up with things that don't match your skin tone, that's gonna affect how you skate mentally because you think, well, I'm already going to get minuses for the fact that my presentation isn't as good as it could be.

It makes you feel like you don't belong.

When we first started, we looked everywhere to find brown tights that fit her skin tone.

The first skating competition she had, like we just couldn't find the right shade.

So I bought Tan, which was like really Caucasian color and she was so embarrassed by it.

We still haven't found skating gloves for skin tone.

I have to dye 'em or paint 'em so that it comes close to matching.

Skating is an extremely, extremely expensive sport and I think that's also a barrier.

You think, well, there's not enough black skaters in the sport.

Why should I invest in it?

But what if you invested, that would help more people feel like they can do the sports.

- I hadn't realized that there's just not a lot of diversity in skating and so it's just been really fun to see her grow and develop.

Skaters, we take a lot of hard falls.

I think most of us have tailbone injuries or wrist injuries at some point.

- I had tried my double axel off the belt for the first time and Kelsey thought I was really close, like I was gonna land it the next day.

But then the next day in the morning I was training off ice and I rolled my ankle.

None of my jumps feel as normal as they used to, but slowly but surely we're gonna get back because I'm like landing so early.

- I remember when she first landed her axel, her goal was to just land it in competition for the first time.

That was probably her worst competition.

It was so painful to watch.

She fell on every single element possible, but she landed the axel, she landed the the axel.

She reached that goal and we celebrated.

I hope that I can make enough changes, at least in Utah for people to be more welcoming of the diversity.

- When I first started, I felt like really lonely.

I didn't feel like an a skater like part of the ice rink.

- That is so important for people to see that they belong, they can do this.

(soft music) Wow, so many vibrant colors and characters who warm my hearts simply by sharing their story.

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Until next time, I'm Liz Adeola and this is Utah.