WinterFest supervisor almost won Mexican figure skating championship as a teenager

If you head out to WinterFest, you may be surprised to learn one of the people working there came within a whisker of winning a national figure skating championship.

Elda Medina is a supervisor at the downtown holiday event. She was born in El Paso, but raised in Juarez. Her figure skating journey started when she was just a child.

“They opened the first ice skating rink in Juarez when I was 10,” Medina said. “As soon as I saw it I told my mom, you have to take me there. I need to take classes.”

She was soon competing, and rose to the top of the Mexican figure skating world at the age of 18.

“I was actually second place in the nationals,” Medina said. “I was very, very excited because other than the Olympics that’s like the goal.”

She also had success in the U.S.

“Won a lot of first places like here in Albuquerque and Monterey,” she said.

She stopped competing at around the age of 20. But she now shares her talent by teaching others in Juarez and El Paso.

“I thought what I really need is to give the opportunity to new girls how to skate,” she said. “That’s very satisfactory to see girls, they don’t even know how to skate, and you teach them and see the results. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

WinterFest continues until January 1st. For more information click here.