Elizabeth Pipko

Elizabeth Pipko

By: Mar Shall

Elizabeth Pipko wants to change the world. “I know I’m a long way away,” she tells me with a smile, as we enjoy coffee a few minutes from her South Florida home where she spends her time when not in her native New York City. While listening to her speak I must remind myself that the young lady sitting in front of me is only 26 years old. She speaks with the insight and candor of someone wise beyond her years, all the while telling me she hopes to never grow up. “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing” she reminds me. I enjoy how seriously she takes her own advice as she continues to make jokes throughout our almost two-hour conversation.

Elizabeth has enjoyed successes in more arenas than most have had the courage to enter into. She proudly tells me, “If nothing else, I am going to prove that I can do it all, and so can anyone else who puts the work in.” And put the work in she certainly does. From early mornings to late nights, Elizabeth regularly tackles things like schoolwork, photoshoots, intense workouts, media appearances, and working on her second book, all in the same day. She proudly tells me how she wrote her memoir, “Finding My Place, Making My Parents’ American Dream Come True” (released last year) in six weeks, while sick in bed with pneumonia. “I knew I had a deadline” she tells me, without any hesitation.

Elizabeth’s work has taken her everywhere from the pages of top fashion magazines to the White House, but her proudest accomplishment she says, is her work fighting anti-Semitism. Elizabeth’s family escaped the Soviet Union and came to the United States so she could live a life as a practicing and proud Jew, something she says she will never take for granted. Her work supporting Israel and the fight against anti-Semitism has been highlighted in publications like the NY Times, and by several major television networks where she regularly appears discussing issues related to anti-Semitism and the State of Israel. In 2019 she was honored by The Batsheva Organization, a Jewish Women’s group, with the Fearless Female Award for “lighting the way for women worldwide.” Her advocacy work does not end there, as Elizabeth regularly speaks about other causes that she believes in and the many ways each of us can do our part to help. Elizabeth has herself volunteered for years at soup kitchens across the country and is currently running a social media project to support our veterans. She hopes to one day run her own shelter.

Apart from her work in politics, media, fashion, writing, and much more, Elizabeth also has another passion she says has been with her for close to fifteen years. “It is something I don’t really like to speak about. If we had the space in this interview I would probably try, but it would take hours for me to even begin to explain how this sport has impacted my life.” Elizabeth began figure skating at the age of ten and admits that that was the moment she realized her life would never be the same. “I still don’t understand exactly why or how I am lucky enough to be where I am today. But I do know that every part of myself that strives daily to achieve everything it is that I want to achieve, I discovered on the ice at ten years old.”

Elizabeth’s time on the ice has been plagued by injuries. “I’ve broken my foot, torn my hamstring, fractured my femur, torn my ankle, taken a skate to the head..the list going on and on” she says with a smirk. In fact, she has spent years away from the ice trying to simply heal her body, but today, finds herself back on the ice again. She credits this comeback with a new coach she says has changed not only her skating but her mindset.

“If you don’t know the name Olga Volozhinskaya, you should go and search her on YouTube right now. She’s one of the most talented people alive, and the only person who has allowed me a sense of joy on the ice again, something I’ll forever be grateful for.” Where this comeback will lead to, Elizabeth says, might not even matter.

“I know what I’ve accomplished and how hard I have always worked, but nobody has any idea how much harder coming back to this sport has been compared to everything else that I have done. If nothing else at all, I hope I can encourage people to never give up, something my mother has instilled in me since I was in diapers.”

In fact, she may be right. Any setbacks she may have had in her life will these days only be dwarfed by her accomplishments. At 26 years old Elizabeth has appeared in countless fashion magazines, worked on the winning 2016 Presidential campaign, published a memoir, won several awards, has given speeches to sold-out crowds, started her own organization fighting

anti-Semitism, is regularly seen on television and radio, and has no plans on stopping any time soon.

“I know the accomplishments are important, but it is the message behind them that I really want people to understand. I have been told by people for years that I would never be successful. I have been told that as a woman I would never be taken seriously. I have been laughed at on more occasions that I can count. I have been torn down for years by people who did not see my vision. But I know what I believe in to be true, if you are kind to everyone you meet, always fight for what you believe in, and work harder than anyone else, you can and will be successful.” Elizabeth Pipko wants to change the world. I think she’s closer than she thinks.

Photographer: Sylvain Von K Glam: Peggy Mackey using Oribe products Styling: Kasia Johnson Producer: Matthew Dillon / MDPR Creative Director: Margaret Bastick Luce Interview: Mar Shall Location: Andros Isles