At five years of age, regional champion ice-skater CoCo Dobard achieved the famous figure skating axel jump on the ice and her dream of becoming a professional figure skater was set in motion.
Watching Sasha Cohen in the 2003 World Championships drove three-year-old Dobard to beg her mother to enroll her in ice skating lessons, opening the door to a life of competitive figure skating, Olympic aspirations, and countless hours spent in an ice rink.
From the ages of six to ten, Dobard committed herself to heavy competition, making a name for herself in the figure skating community and building her award repertoire.
Only a few years into this rigorous lifestyle, exhaustion crept into the routine. “I literally would have a competition every weekend. It was a lot. I actually got really sick, I got mono when I was seven. It was from exhaustion,” said Dobard.
The dream of reaching Olympic status started to feel out of reach for Dobard then, but her love for the sport remained, so she continued to compete and train herself, and those around her.
Though there is evident love for the sport, Dobard did not shy away from discussing the physical and mental difficulties that come with being a competitive athlete.
The pressures of being a great skater created toxic habits in her daily life. “I formed an eating disorder, binge eating, but I didn’t notice it because of the other toxic habit of overworking out. I was trying to keep up with this really intense culture. It turned into winning for a few years there. I wasn’t skating for myself anymore,” Dobard said.
Through these toxic behaviors, fractured bones, and pure exhaustion, Dobard continued to exert herself to the fullest extent to avoid feeling “left behind.”
“You’re kind of thrown into this lifestyle. Like eat, sleep, breathe skating. That’s the general mindset. Especially to be an elite athlete, you have to make sure that you comply to this intense schedule,” she added.
To keep up with the demanding training required when pursuing competitive figure skating, Dobard attended and graduated from an online high school in 2019 prior to enrolling in Long Beach City College in the fall.
Along with the physical tolls endured during this journey, there was also a mental factor that came into play with competing in individual sports, according to Dobard.
“I loved it, but skating is also very isolating. You don’t really form a lot of strong relationships early on, because you’re always competing with each other,” she said.
For a time, Dobard felt her passion for the sport was dissipating and it was solely about competition and winning.
Today, however, Dobard is sharing the love of the sport with others, training new skaters from the ages of 4 to 43.
According to Brandon Rabbitt, manager of Artesia ice rink East West Ice Palace where Dobard trains, Dobard has had a total of 852 sessions with them since 2017 and commended her talent on the ice.
“She’s graceful on the ice and has an elegant presence, but watch out she’ll sting you like a bee,” said Rabbitt.
Throughout the troubles and successes of her life as a skater, Dobard has not lost sight of the joy this sport has brought her, saying, “I don’t think now I can see myself leaving skating entirely. It’s always going to be a part of me. If not to compete or do shows, for myself.”