4 minute read
Born to Perform
By Lexi Rohner
PHOTOS PROVIDED by LEXI ROHNER
My son Cole is many things. What he is not is shy or unmotivated. A 28-week triplet who had a major stroke and 13 brain surgeries, Cole has more than eight diagnoses of which the main two are Cerebral Palsy and Autism. From the moment he was a sickly NICU baby, he exuded a charming personality that has been a grace bestowed upon him. We always jokingly say, “He’s never met an audience he doesn’t like.”
Truer words were never spoken. As a former lifelong skating competitor and a long-time coach, I put my kids on the ice at age two because I could. I knew that skating and horses were the two sports that most mimic the human gait. Thus, while I had no expectation of my children becoming skaters or competitors, I knew it could not hurt. Over time, Cole learned how to do things on the ice, with me holding him up.
Seven years ago my other son, who had dabbled in skating, decided to be a competitor. As an announcer for many years, I knew many fellow officials and called the referee at a local event to ask if they could find a place in the schedule for Cole to compete. The answer was yes and we set about creating something Cole could do, with me behind him. He started calling me his ‘prop’. Every competition his brother did, Cole did as well. We started getting more and more creative with the themes and I noticed Cole gaining strength in his movements.
In 2019 Cole suggested we skate together—not just me assisting. We made use of his former gait trainer—a hybrid wheelchair-bicycle seat device that helped him learn how to walk by the time he was five—that gave Cole something to stand up with while I attempted to resurrect my former skating skills. The video went viral on YouTube— gaining over three million views— and we received many messages asking where people could obtain a similar device for ice use.
I realized then that Cole had more to offer the skating community, especially in terms of encouraging other adaptive skaters to participate. In 2021, National Showcase decided to include adaptive entries for the first time. Cole entered and flourished under the spotlight, relishing the huge audience and appreciation for entertainmentbased skating competition. The following year, he and wheelchair-bound competitor Rob Hanley performed the first-ever Showcase Adaptive duet. U.S. Figure Skating National Showcase NVC Daren Patterson was instrumental in offering these opportunities. We had three starts in 2021, six starts in 2022, and are looking forward to what lies in store this summer!
As Cole received feedback from a judge for the first time last year, my heart practically beat out of my chest as I stood back and observed the moment. He listened intently as judge Ann Buckley declared he had "reached the top of the bleachers" and as she discussed suggestions for enhancing his craft. Upon hearing her assessment, he gave his signature huge and charming smile.
As a parent, I am incredibly grateful for my child to have this outlet. As a lifelong skater and U.S. Figure Skating committee leadership participant, I am ecstatic that our efforts as an organization have made room for this group of skaters. Cole is a Shriners Hospitals Ambassador, a USFS #GetUp Ambassador, lettered in choir at school, and does adaptive dance and baseball. He is incessantly motivated and inspired by creativity and always thinking ahead to what skating programs he can do and how to do better than the previous year. He holds nothing back.
This is not about me, but rather, opening doors for him to get through. From the time he was little, I barely got a door open that he hasn’t charged through on his own steam, asking for help when he needs it. With my competitive and coaching careers in the rearview mirror, this has been a new and unique way for me to be on the ice. I have the honor of being Cole’s "prop" with an up-close spot to watch my kiddo grow into his own, connecting with audiences from his heart, and hopefully inspiring others to join us. I am the luckiest mama.
