Photo Credit: Melanie Heaney Photography
by Aviva M. Cantor
In August 2022, Serena Kemble arrived in Wesley Chapel, Florida with big dreams. As a seasoned Theatre On Ice competitor with an outgoing personality, the bubbly 11-year-old was excited to try her hand at the nation’s largest showcase competition.
This year marked the first time that National Showcase was held in Florida. The competition took place just two hours from Kemble’s home in Rockledge, Florida, where she is a member of the Space Coast Iceplex Figure Skating Club.
Kemble’s debut was a roaring success. The charming, entertaining skater won two events, placing first in juvenile lyrical pop and juvenile comedic impressions. Both programs advanced to the parade of junior champions.
The parade of junior champions opened with Kemble’s sassy interpretation of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” from the lyrical pop category.
Photo Credit: Melanie Heaney Photography
“I love Whitney Houston. The bracelet and the earrings were my mom’s in the ‘80s,” Kemble shared.
During her first performance, Kemble fell after her skate came untied.
“I wasn’t hurt, but I was disappointed,” Kemble said.
When she came back out for her comedic impressions program, she sought a second chance at a clean, successful performance.
The moment Kemble skated to her spot, the audience and officials began laughing. After all, it’s not every day that you get to watch a three-legged skater. That’s right: a three-legged skater.
Kemble’s coach, Katie Nyman, is British. Nyman suggested an old British comedy skit that would be perfect for Kemble: “Jake The Peg” by Rolf Harris. In the original skit, Harris performed with a third leg which was controlled by a cane.
Kemble re-enacted the skit with perfection. The costume was pieced together after lengthy shopping trips, using an oversized coat from Goodwill and two pairs of pants from Walmart. Kemble’s mom, Deserre, used Walmart bags and duct tape to create a faux leg, then used a blade from Kemble’s old boots to complete the illusion.
In creating the program, Kemble was faced with the unique challenge of learning to skate on three legs.
“I held the cane under the coat, and this arm is stronger now. The cane was heavy because it had a blade on it,” Kemble said. “I had to do the right timing and it took a lot of practice. It was like learning to walk.”
Kemble’s comedic impressions program skyrocketed to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 36.77. She earned the highest marks for performance and artistic appeal.
“I could hear the people in the audience laughing. I saw the judges laughing,” Kemble remembered. “Knowing that I made people laugh was worth more to me than a medal.”
Looking at Kemble’s success, it’s hard to imagine her sidelined just a year and a half prior. In February 2021, Kemble took a hard fall that fall resulted in serious surgery.
“Serena was adopted. We didn’t know that she was prone to growth plate issues,” said Deserre Kemble, who adopted Serena Kemble at birth. “When she went to jump, the growth plate completely separated. We had to rush her to the hospital, and the entire hip joint was broken out of the growth plate.”
Kemble had surgery to get a screw placed in her hip, then spent a month in a wheelchair and two months on crutches. Doctors told the Kembles that there was a 30-60% chance of Kemble’s other hip breaking, too.
“She can’t do free skate like she used to, but she can do Theatre On Ice and showcase,” shared Deserre Kemble. “We’ve poured everything into that. She lives for Theatre On Ice.”
Four months after the surgery, Kemble was back on the ice in June 2021, just in time for National Theatre On Ice, where she played the role of Rosa Parks for the Space Coast Hurricanes.
“She’s the only skater of color on her team,” Deserre Kemble said.
Kemble is the youngest member of the Figure Skating Diversity and Inclusion Alliance (FSDIA): a diverse coalition reflecting a vast multi-national and multi-racial skating family.
“There’s not a lot of diversity in the skating world, and they’re working on changing that,” Deserre Kemble said.
World bronze medalist and European Champion Vanessa James is also an FSDIA member, and she has helped Kemble find tights in the appropriate color.
The Kembles cite that Serena Kemble has faced many challenges, particularly for group performances where skaters are expected to have similar hairstyles. But Kemble persists, noting that her dedication to the sport transcends her differences from her peers. Kemble has a passion for performing, and the goal-oriented skater wishes to be a champion not only for diversity, but for generosity as well.
As the top fundraiser in a recent fundraising competition for the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, Kemble will perform a solo in an upcoming ice show in Orlando, where she will likely perform “Jake The Peg” once again. The determined sixth grader raised over $5,000 for cancer research by making signs and enlightening patrons of the local 7-Eleven store.
After the show, future plans include continuing with Theatre On Ice and competing at 2023 National Showcase. And when Kemble turns 18, she has an even bigger dream to achieve: “I want to be Princess Tiana in Disney On Ice.”
