Amirah puts her skates on

Malaysian skater Amirah Arienna Azhari makes the US her launching pad to skating stardom.

Amirah Arienna Azhari has flown many miles for the sports she loves, ice skating.

The 14 year old Malaysia who has lived in Iowa, USA since she was 3 years old is back home to participate in the 8th Malaysia National Figure skating Championship.

She has won many skating tournaments in the US and this is her first time competing here.

She completed the short program on Friday and is set to skate her final program on Saturday.

Her family leaves for Manila for another tournament on Monday before returning to the US.

On the surface Amirah may look like your typical teenager, but there is obviously something special about her. Her slim figure and height suggests she is some kind of athlete or dancer. It is when she puts on her skating costumes and white pair of skates and takes to the ice that her mettle shows. She glides across the ice, does the double loop and finishes her routine with a dizzying camel spin that earns her rave reviews.

She started skating at the age of 6 and was torn between choosing gymnastic or skating. She chose the latter because after visiting a mall and saw a group of skaters enjoying themselves. “I tried it, and then I like it,” she says.

Her family have been in Iowa where her mother studies for her doctorate. They decided to stay on at Iowa to enable for Amirah to pursue her skating dreams.

She trains hard after school for up to four to five days a week with each session lasting about 3 hours.

She eats what she wants. She’s not too strict about her diet and loves cereals.

Amirah studies hard and puts studies ahead of skating.

“My ultimate dream is to compete in the Olympics.”

She is currently competing in the 8th Malaysia National Figure skating Championship, held on the 5th to 6th April.

The 8th Malaysia National Figure skating Championship was held by International Skating Association of Malaysia which was also joined by skaters from Singapore, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and India.