Fourteen-year-old Metro Detroit figure skater Stella Vajda is turning an Olympic dream into real momentum on the ice.
Vajda recently earned a silver medal at her first international competition—a breakthrough performance that helped her land a spot on the U.S. National Team. Now, she’s preparing to represent Team USA once again at the Cranberry Cup International in Boston, running August 5–9, where she’ll compete in the Advanced Novice division.
We caught up with Vajda last week at the Detroit Skating Club, where her schedule reflects the kind of commitment it takes to rise quickly in a demanding sport.
“Almost every day I skate—six days out of the seven days of the week,” Vajda said.
The Cranberry Cup will be another chance to test herself on an international stage—performing both her short program and free skate against athletes from other countries.
“It’s another international so I get to do my short program and free skate and I get to compete against different countries and compete against people that I’ve never seen before,” she said.
Her coach, Laura Lepinski, says Vajda’s progress is driven by relentless effort and focus in practice.
“She’s one of the most hardworking athletes that I’ve ever worked with,” Lepinski said. “She comes to the rink every day dialed in, ready to work.”
For Vajda, Boston is more than the next competition—it’s another step toward the world stage, as she continues chasing bigger goals with every program she performs.
We last checked in with Vajda back in January, as the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis neared and athletes at the Detroit Skating Club ramped up training for nationals—then the final chance to qualify for the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Vajda was among the club’s rising skaters headed into the junior event, alongside teammates Mia Smith and Emilia Nemirovsky, as their coaches praised the dedication—and emotional journey—behind their push to the national stage.