"I can do anything with a little extra time, a little kindness and a little help."
 
That winning attitude has enabled Elena Nicopoulos to rise above a learning disability and shine as a member of Virginia Ice Theatre's Adaptive/Unified team. It's a team that has finished first multiple times in U.S. Figure Skating's National Theatre on Ice Competition.
 
Nicopoulos began skating lessons at age 4, but it was after high school when she took her love for the ice to another level.
 
"I started skating as an individual skater with Special Olympics at Mount Vernon Ice Rink," Nicopoulos says. "Coach Olga [Olga Garrity, founder of Virginia Ice Theatre] inspired me to join Adaptive Theatre on Ice. As soon as I tried it, I liked it."

 
Garrity started Virginia Ice Theatre in 2011 with 15 skaters. Today there are more than 70 skaters spread across multiple teams at various competitive levels. The Adaptive/Unified team, originally designated as a Special Olympics/Therapeutic team to give performance opportunities to all skaters while fostering a positive environment that encourages confidence and friendship, competed for the first time in 2018.
 
"In 2017, I was coaching a couple of adaptive kids; those were my favorite lessons," Garrity recalls. "And when I was at Nationals [TOI] there was one adaptive team. After talking to them I decided this [coaching an adaptive/unified team] was what I wanted to do. It has been the highlight for me ever since."
 
It has been a highlight for Nicopoulos as well. She recalls wanting to participate in an activity in high school but didn't enjoy playing soccer or basketball. She also wanted to be part of a team.
 
"Everybody is different, but everybody has something valuable to contribute," Nicopoulos says. "I feel good about being part of Virginia Ice Theatre."
 
Garrity says the team concept is key. The Adaptive/Unified team is comprised of skaters like Nicopoulos with physical and/or intellectual disabilities skating alongside skating  mentors. These mentors may possess a higher level of skating skills, but everyone is equal.
 
"We don't have a team of 11 skaters and 11 mentors," Garrity explains. "We have a team of 22 skaters."
 
Nicopoulos agrees.

"I like the mentors; they're my friends," she says. "They're young girls like me, and they treat me like anybody else. They're very supportive."
 
That supportive environment has paid huge dividends. After the Virginia Ice Theatre Adaptive/Unified team finished first at the 2024 National Theatre on Ice Competition, it was invited to the Nation's Gold Cup in Bordeaux, France, where it performed alongside the top theatre teams in the world.
 
"I love traveling with the team, and going to France was amazing," Nicopoulos says. "Seeing the Eiffel Tower was cool."

Last week, Virginia Ice Theatre placed second at the 2026 National Theatre On Ice Competition in California.
 
Garrity is not surprised by the ease with which Nicopoulos bonds with the mentors. She's always smiling; literally never has any issues. And is an inspiration to not just the other adaptive skaters but the mentors as well.
 
"Skating is such a lonely and privileged sport," Garrity says. "When these mentors show an interest in being part of this program, it's an eye-opening experience. They appreciate what they have and want to help the adaptive skaters feel the same level of success in the sport that they regularly feel. I think it humbles them."
 
When Nicopoulos isn't skating, she works full-time at Cameron's Coffee & Chocolates, the first business enterprise of the Every 1 Can Work non-profit foundation.
 
Part of the foundation's mission is to provide employment to adults living with an intellectual disability through a supportive group environment. Job coaches teach work and life skills to help further independence.
 
"We make muffins and cupcakes, and I like making frosting," Nicopoulos says. "I've also made friends working there. And the coaches help us with the recipes."
 
But skating, Nicopoulos' mom Cathy says, "has become the center of her world and the highlight of every week."
 
Garrity says that "center of her world" attitude is present at every practice.
 
"It's one of the most beautiful things," she explains. "With the adaptive skaters, they're in the moment. They're there 100 percent. They're not thinking about what they're doing tomorrow or about their homework. They are always fully present."
 
That's especially true, Garrity adds, with Nicopoulos.
 
"When I go to adaptive practice, all my worries of the day, the week or month fade away," she says. "Because there's Elena with her smile. I'm where I'm supposed to be. And nothing else matters at the moment. That's the biggest takeaway for me. So, I don't know how much I've inspired her, but she has definitely inspired me."
 
For Elena, it's simply about doing her best, having fun and being responsible.
 
"I love having my own skates and wearing the different skating costumes," she says. "And when we get first place, it feels amazing."