Seven-Year-Old Performs An Ice Skating Routine To "You Raise Me Up," Gains Internet Fame

Sep 30, 2020

Gia Kokotakis was only seven years old when she stole the hearts of judges and the audience with her outstanding performance. She performed an ice skating routine in 2009 with You Raise Me Up by Connie Talbot where she ended up at third position overall.

At the time, she was younger by half compared to her competitors, as per the description of the video. This did not stop the judges and the audience from admiring her talent. Before she could proceed with her performance, her mom could be seen wishing her the best of luck while she stood at the ice rink.

Gia had been training long enough, and her mom was aware of that. The crowd roared when the announcer invited the audience to welcome Gia. It was a warm one. Off to the middle of the rink, Gia glided.

Anticipating, she positioned herself to the commencement of her performance as she awaited the music. You Raise Me Up by Connie Talbot could now be heard playing. With one leg, with her arms held back, Gia propelled herself forward.

Skating and twisting backward, she performed. She then came to a halt and pushed herself ahead on one leg, for the second time, with her left leg leaning high in space. The audience was mesmerized, seeing her twist and glide across the rink with grace.

All of a sudden, her movements became desirous. Gia gracefully had her right leg holding onto the ice skates blade using one hand. She did this as she was sliding backward. Gia could be seen leaping into the air and spinning the moment the chorus of the song begun. And when she hit the ground once again, it was perfect.

With one leg in the air, she started spinning in circles. While still in that state, Gia grabbed the blade for the second time and forced her leg to the air. She could now be seen sliding forward, placing one knee on the floor and winding up her performance. This happened as the song came to its end, slowly.

The crowd, who was in awe, roared. Ice skating is a sport that requires a great load of stamina, as the skaters have to keep up their momentum. Being able to perform such an exhausting routine at seven years old is quite an accomplishment. Gia gracefully skated away with satisfaction. But it wasn't her decision to determine who the winner was. When the finalists were announced by the judges, Gia was given the third position. The world had a different view as they expressed via the internet: after Gia placed her routine on her YouTube page, and it went gone viral.

That was just the beginning as Gia has kept on ice skating and graced various competitions. About a year after this performance, Gia went ahead to compete in the preliminary freeskate competition, "La Jolla."

In this performance, Gia showed drastic improvements that had occurred over a short period of time. This is so because she moved to the top very fast this time around. This time, her performance was based on the soundtrack of the movie The Mask of Zorro. This song had a faster pace, but Gia could still manage it.

According to the video description, she managed to have four out of five judges thinking that she had the best performance. As much as she impressed all the judges, the fifth judge thought her to be the second-best. This, however, still crowned Gia as the overall winner of the competition.

The second video also managed to go viral with over two million views. Gia is now 18 years old and a student at Georgetown University, as per her Instagram bio.

She has mentioned on her now-inactive Twitter page that she's looking forward to competing in the Winter Olympics come 2022. Although, according to her Instagram bio, she calls herself a "Former Team USA Figure Skater".

What did you think of Gia's routine? Let us know in the comments! By reaching other people, it will encourage not only young girls but everyone to go for their dreams.