For more than five decades, the Figure Skating Club of Bloomington has called the Bloomington Ice Garden home. Onia Gelecinskyj, pictured then and now above, took her first steps onto the ice at BIG at just two years old. Today, she serves as club president and is a U.S. Figure Skating gold and sectional-level judge, a full-circle story rooted at BIG.
Founded in 1976, the club has grown hand in hand with BIG. Many skate school instructors are also club coaches or skaters, making it easy for student skaters to grow from learning basic skills to competing and performing.
“I’ve never known life without BIG, and I truly think of it as my second home,” Onia said. “BIG has been a place of comfort for me. Not only have I grown from a competitive skater to a skate school instructor there, but I’m now a U.S. Figure Skating official and even an occasional Zamboni driver.”
Opportunities to advance are built into the BIG skating community. Onia’s story mirrors that legacy: growing talent, building community and keeping figure skating thriving.
To learn more about open skate, lessons or joining the club, visit blm.mn/big.
