Committed to her craft: Gunderson thrives in figure skating from South Dakota

Jun. 12—MITCHELL — For most figure skaters across the United States, year-round ice access, training facilities and nearby competitions are often taken for granted.

For current Mitchell resident McKayla Gunderson, success in the sport has required something different, such as determination, sacrifice and several miles on the road.

The 2020 Pierre T.F. Riggs High School graduate recently received notification that she earned her U.S. Figure Skating Association gold medal in adult gold singles within the adult gold emotional performance showcase discipline. The achievement places Gunderson among the top-three adult figure skaters in the nation in her category.

The accomplishment makes her just the second member of the Mitchell Figure Skating Club to earn a U.S. Figure Skating gold medal honor, joining Sarah Bultje in the club's history.

While the achievement is significant on its own, Gunderson's story is unique in South Dakota, a place where figure skating has its challenges.

Opportunities for training are limited compared to traditional skating states, and in Mitchell, the challenge becomes even greater during the summer when ice is unavailable. Yet Gunderson continues to find ways to compete with some of the nation's best.

"I never thought that I would see myself as a national representative for South Dakota in general for figure skating," Gunderson said. "But now, I can walk around and proudly say that I accomplished one of the hardest things that you can do in figure skating, and it strives me to continue to work for my other gold medals, as well."

Gunderson routinely travels to Sioux Falls, Pierre and occasionally Watertown to find year-round ice and continue preparing for competition. The added travel and expenses are simply part of what it takes to pursue high-level figure skating while living in Mitchell.