Leah Keiser Online

Leah was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 13, 1997.  She began to skate at the age of four, inspired by watching Michelle Kwan skate on television.  She started taking lessons when she was six at a small rink in the Pittsburgh area, where she quickly showed a passion for skating, as well as the drive to succeed.  She competed at her first Regional competition at the age of eight, where she made the final round, but had a disappointing performance.  Leah was inspired by that skate to work even harder, and ensure that she would always give the best effort she could in the future.

After passing her Senior Moves in the Field at the age of nine, she qualified for the 2008 Junior Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Her hard work paid off, and she became the National Juvenile Girls Champion.  No one was more surprised by this achievement than Leah herself, and it became a turning point in her skating career, because she now knew that with determination and effort, anything was possible.

2010 Novice Ladies National Champion

Two years later, Leah became the 2010 National Novice Ladies Champion. She landed five triples in her free skate and earned a competition score of 136.66.  Leah will be competing as a Senior this season (2011-12).

Leah represents the All Year Figure Skating Club.  She studies ballet with Galina Barinova, and does off-ice training under the supervision of Diane Kovacic.  She trains with Frank Carroll in Palm Springs CA, as well as Christa Fassi at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, CA.   Her programs this year — “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor” by Camille Saint-Saëns (SP) and Selections from the Doctor Zhivago film soundtrack by Maurice Jarre (FS) — have been choreographed by Lori Nichol.

Leah is a 4.0 student in the Yorba Linda School District’s Gifted Program.  She has four siblings.  Older brother Thomas, plays in the NFL (Carolina Panthers) after playing at Stanford for four years.  Older brother Alex, is a member of Boston University Crew Team.  He is the 2011 Club Nationals Bronze medalist in Men’s Intermediate and Senior Quad.  Older sister Stephanie, is a Senior at Penn State and played Tennis at the club level.  Younger sister Emily, is also a competitive figure skater.  She is a national competitor at the Juvenile and Intermediate level.  She competed at the 2012 Pacific Coast Sectionals and finished 6th.

Meeting with Shen and Zhao at Stars on Ice

Other interests include spending time with her parents and sister Emily , piano, reading, writing, rhythmic gymnastics, and playing with her dogs, Tinkerbelle and Annie.