Tauranga-born Petra Lahti has set her sights on representing New Zealand in the next Winter Olympics for ice figure skating.

Lahti, 16, is one of two figure skaters proving Kiwi talent on the international stage. She competed at the national championships in Christchurch on October 17-19 where she won the senior women’s category.

“It was a great experience overall,” she said. In the competition there were about 180 competitors. Lahti said ice figure skating wasn’t a popular sport in New Zealand, but it was growing.

Before going to the national championships she competed in the South Island championships in Gore to qualify. After winning in Gore, she qualified for nationals; and after winning at nationals she has qualified for junior worlds.

Lahti is on the NZ A Rep Team and will be working towards representing NZ in the ISU Junior World Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, from February 25 to March 1.

Petra Lahti performing her short programme routine. Photo / David Kinch Photography

In September next year, Lahti will compete at the ISU Olympic qualifying competition, most likely to be in Oberstdorf, Germany.

It is there that she will aim to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano, Cortina. “There are only a few spots up for grabs there. It’ll be exciting.”

Lahti was born in Tauranga and spent three years here before moving with her family to Finland.

Once settled in Finland, they started looking at sports for Lahti and her brother, Kristian.

Both siblings started playing ice hockey. “Then my mum and I went and watched the figure skating show and I said to her, ‘actually, I want to skate like that, I don’t want to do ice hockey’ and that’s when I decided that I was going to do figure skating and I fell in love with it immediately.

“Figure skating has been my whole life since I was 3,” Lahti said.

“Skating is a great sport; I really recommend it to everyone. It’s such a good mix because it’s like athletic and artistic, it’s such a good combination. It’s a beautiful sport.”

She attends high school fulltime and trains for ice skating six days a week; about 20 hours in total. She does two ice sessions a day and off-ice training like going to the gym, a dance class, physio, plyometrics or a jog. “It’s pretty vigorous. It’s a lot on top of fulltime school.”

Lahti has two routines that she performs at competitions – the short programme, which is two minutes and 50 seconds long and can include only three jumps; and the free skate, which is four minutes and can have seven jumps.

Her present free skate routine has a theme based on a documentary called The Earth From Above.

Petra Lahti performing her free skate routine. Photo / David Kinch Photography

Her choreographer, Monia Lindfors, came up with the idea and even took part in the design of the costume.

“I showed her pictures of the Mount, that’s where she got the colours for the dress.”

Lindfors said in the routine, Lahti was like a nymph coming out of the ground.

Growing up in Finland

She’s been living in Finland for 13 years now and is fluent in English and Finnish. Her parents decided to move the family over due to having better education.

In Finland, students spend nine years in primary school and 3-4 years in high school.

“Usually, athletes do it in four years because then they have more time.”

Lahti is in a sports school in Finland. “They’re really forgiving, if I have to skip school to go to practice or go to a competition, they’re super chill.”

Lahti is in her first year of high school this year and hopes to go to university to become a doctor once she graduates.

While being in New Zealand for nationals, Lahti has been staying with her grandparents for a few days to visit them for the first time in seven years.

Her grandparents have never watched her perform live but they hope the national competition will be in the North Island next year so that they can finally watch in person.

She said she still has a strong connection to Tauranga and loves Mauao which has been an inspiration to one of her costumes.

Petra Lahti with her grandmother Carol Searancke. Photo: Brydie Thompson.

Lahti’s grandmother Carol Searancke said she would love for Lahti and the family to move back to Tauranga, but the education is too good to miss out on in Finland, especially for Lahti who aspires to be a doctor someday.

The pair have enjoyed spending time together, “It would be so cool to live here,” said Lahti.

She said Kiwis are so nice and chatty, she said the two of them were down at the beach the other day and were speaking to some grandmothers.

Searancke said she was boasting about how amazing her granddaughter is and how she had just won and the New Zealand national championships for ice figure skating.

Then one of the grandmothers turned to her and said, “Well, I might skite about my grandson… he’s Sam Kane.”

Support

Lahti is grateful for the support she receives from her family, friends and supporters.

She said her parents work hard to keep up with the costs so that she can achieve her dreams.

She looks up to her Finland coach Virpi Horttana and New Zealand coach Bess Cao who have supported her to get to where she is today.

She is grateful for her choreographer Monica Lindfors who has created her winning routines.

Lahti wants to thank her sponsors Skate Shop Helsinki, who provide free skates each year worth €1000, and her sports massage therapist Tommi Salonen at TS Lihashuolto.

She would be eternally grateful for anyone who is interested in sponsoring her and encourages them to get in contact by emailing her at petralahti1@gmail.com.

To other aspiring young figure skaters, Lahti said “Just go for it, there’s really nothing to lose. Set your mind on the goal. If you want to then the sky is the limit.”

Keep up to date with Petra Lahti’s journey on Instagram @petralahtii.