WHETHER it's figure skating, speed skating or ice hockey, SM Skating puts forward the value proposition that the ice rinks that existed in particular SM malls could be more than just recreational or leisurely pursuits.

As a young girl dreamed of "Ice Castles" and as a band of brothers hoped to form an ice hockey team that competed globally, they all could see the SM ice rinks as the venue and first major step to making those pipe dreams come true.

SM Megamall opened in 1992 with the country's first ice rink.

What began as a novelty transformed into Olympic-sized rinks at SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia and SM Seaside City Cebu.

These rinks served as official training grounds for those pursuing proficiency in figure skating, ice hockey and speed skating.

Notable figures included Michael Martinez, a two-time Winter Olympian, as well as Isabella Gamez and Alexander Korovin, the first Southeast Asian and Philippine pair to compete in the World Figure Skating Championships.

Also notable are Sofia Frank, 2022 national champion and World Junior Figure Skating champion; Charmaine Skye Chua, 2022 national medalist and GMA Sparkle artist, featured in the teleserye, "Hearts on Fire;" and Cathryn Limketkai, back-to-back national junior medalist.

While others downplayed dreams of unfurling the Philippine flag during a Winter Olympics medal ceremony, SM Skating asked, "Why not," and laid the groundwork to raise that possibility.

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