Elena Valova, left, instructs her student Crystal Chilcott, of Butler, while practicing figure skating at Robert Morris University's Island Sports Center on Neville Island, on Friday, March 14, 2008. Butler Eagle File Photo

When Crystal Chilcott's first-grade teacher read her a story about skating, she envisioned a fairy tale. When Chilcott donned a pair of skates a year later, she lived it.

Chilcott was a freshman at Butler Intermediate High School in 2008, and had been a figure skater for eight years by that point. By that point in her career, Chilcott won more than 30 medals in competitions, including 10 golds.

She skated four times a week at Robert Morris University's Island Sports Center on Neville Island, where she trained with former Olympic gold medalist Elena Valova and field moves coach Liz Leavey, who has sent skaters to the United States Figure Skating Association’s national championships.