How Geneva ice dancer found balance between her sport and classes at St. Francis High School

Geneva's Chloe Ryan, a senior at St. Francis High School in Wheaton, recently won the U.S. Senior Solo Ice Dance Championship at the U.S. Figure Skating Association Solo Dance Nationals in Provo, Utah.

Nancy Ryan, Chloe's mom, said this is the first time someone from the Midwest has captured the title, and Chloe set a record in the process with her history-breaking Rhythm Dance score.

Ryan began skating when she was 5, and for many years was a freestyle competitor. In 2014, she began solo ice dancing and started competing in 2015. She has qualified for and medaled in the National Championships each of the past five years.

The road to her success required much dedication and sacrifice.

"It took many years of trials and tribulations before finding a balance that worked best for me," Ryan said.

Her day typically begins at 4:40 a.m. and she's on the ice by 5:30 to begin 2½ hours of training before reporting to school. Having a study hall for her first period of the day, and the permission of the St. Francis administration and staff to be excused during that time, allows Chloe some extra time to focus on her training.

"St. Francis High School taught me balance," Ryan said. "I can have the best of both worlds - I can be an elite athlete and I can attend school full time."

During competition season, and most afternoons during her off-season, she heads to the rink after school for additional training, followed by off-ice conditioning.

Ryan admits she sometimes works ahead in her classes or has to adjust her rink schedule to accommodate her studies, but she doesn't feel any differently than other students who find themselves staying up late doing homework - she just starts her day earlier.

Her discipline really pays off, too. Ryan finished last school year on the A honor roll with a GPA higher than a 4.0, she is in honors and Advanced Placement classes, and is a member of the National Honor Society and Foreign Language National Honor Society.

Ryan said her sport is often an opportunity to escape from the pressures of school.

"What I love most about ice dancing is the ability to escape into a world where nothing else matters, except skating. The test you did poorly on, the stress of applying to college, all fades into the background and you become immersed in skating," she said.

"Being a national champion has never been about the titles or the accolades, it's been about the journey. It's a culmination of all the hours of training, all the sacrifices, including missing many school-related activities, the long sleepless nights, the countless injuries …"

Nancy Ryan said Chloe had to make many sacrifices, including missing opportunities to attend school events with her friends, and "juggling her training with education was often like walking a tightrope." But, Nancy and her husband, Dennis, are happy with the support their daughter has received from the administration and teachers at St. Francis.

"The journey … has taught me when I put my heart and soul into something, I can succeed," Ryan said. "And that's the most important lesson. The journey was never easy, but through it all I had faith in the bigger picture."

For Ryan, her bigger picture included balancing her academic achievements with nine total USFSA National Medals in Solo Ice Dance, including four gold/national titles and five other national medals.

As an athlete, her favorite memory was the reaction of her parents when she won her first national title. They both were filled with tears as they wrapped her in their arms to celebrate.

Ryan said that season she sustained a broken knee and was down with mono. "I thought my season would be over, and the idea of even making it to nationals, let alone winning, was unimaginable. So, to come back and qualify for nationals, and then proceed to win it, meant so much," she said.

Ryan says her favorite memory as a student has been her participation in the junior retreat. She said it was the first time she saw everyone differently and it was "eye-opening." She found herself talking to students she never spoke to before and now they are her friends.

Next year, Ryan hopes to be a student at Loyola University working toward a degree in psychology, with a minor in English. She also has dreams of becoming a lawyer. Though she will be hanging up her competitive skates, she said she is working toward some new endeavors that may keep her on the ice.

"Leaving St. Francis, I'll forever be proud to have belonged to such a tightknit, faith-based community," she said. "Skating has taught me so many invaluable life lessons, and I have so many memories associated with the sport that I want to give back in one form or another. I'm currently in the process of becoming certified to judge competitions and test sessions. I also hope to coach."