Among the 232 athletes competing for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, one stands out for South students because, before Emilea Zingas ’20 became an Olympian, she was one of them.
As a former South student, Zingas once sat in the classroom of former English teacher Katherine Parent, who remembers her as an outgoing and ambitious student.
“Even when she was in high school, [figure skating] was one of the biggest priorities in her life,” Parent said. “I remember that she talked multiple times about how she had to make sacrifices in order to balance her figure skating aspirations with school.”
That dedication has followed Zingas throughout her skating career, and Lindsay O’Donoghue, who coached her from age seven to 21, has seen that level of work ethic pay off firsthand.
“Ever since she was little, she had a ton of energy and worked hard and always pushed herself to be better,” O’Donoghue said. “She always set high goals and achieved them.”
Zingas began her career as a singles skater, competing internationally before switching to ice dancing. While at first inexperienced in the discipline, she debuted in ice dance in Dec. 2022 alongside partner Vadym Kolesnik.
“I think doing those international competitions as a singles skater taught her how to handle pressure and gave her experience for when she did switch over to ice dancing,” O’Donoghue said. “She knew what to expect coming into dance, and now, with a partner, she has got someone else there with her.”
The partnership has quickly found success. In Jan. 2026, Zingas and Kolesnik won silver at the U.S. Championships and gold at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, earning them a spot on Team USA. Throughout Zingas’s rising career, O’Donoghue has remained close with her, even planning to travel to Milan for the Olympics to watch as Zingas competes.
“Seeing her achieve her goals and achieve the biggest goal that any skater can achieve was just something unbelievable,” O’Donoghue said. “I was so proud of her and happy for her,”
As Zingas competes on the world stage, South skater Lila Curtis ’29 will be watching not just another athlete, but someone she considers a role model. Curtis grew up skating at the same rink as Zingas and says she has long been inspired by her.
“It’s so crazy because as a kid I always dreamed of being in the Olympics, and it’s even crazier to see that someone actually did it, and they were so close to me,” Curtis said. “It’s motivating to see that it’s actually possible to get somewhere in skating. It’s not just some crazy dream. It is possible if you work hard enough.”
