Sofia Frank needs our help.
The country’s top female figure skater is making a serious run for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. But she can’t do it alone. Fortunate as she has been to have parents who’ve moved heaven and earth to keep their daughter competitive in an expensive sport, the stakes and costs are higher now. She travels with a coach to competitions in Europe, Asia and through North America, and that is challenging enough. When you add the daily costs of fees for three primary coaches, a harness coach, a spin coach, an off-ice trainer, ballet instructor and daily ice time, it’s incredible that they’ve gotten this far. Granted, Team Frank gets some help from the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Skating Union, but they simply need more, much more.
“The new things that I’m doing, it all adds up,” Frank told The STAR and dwAN 1206 AM in an exclusive interview. “Boots and skates cost a lot; choreography lessons, dresses. I would need to go to as many international competitions to get as many points as I can to get the minimum technical elements score for the short program and the long program to make it to the World Championship.”
The Philippines’ defending national champion need not medal at the Worlds, but if she gets enough points, she automatically qualifies for the Winter Games. If not, she would need to go through the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany, which may be even tougher.
“It would really help if anybody could donate any amount,” she pleads. “It would really help a lot. We need to raise about $40,000 in all.”
The Franks have started a GoFundMe account for the run-up to the Olympics. Sofia has put in an unbelievable amount of work to be the best possible skater that she can be, and has consistently brought honor to the country. She has worked non-stop with no complaint, outworking many of her rivals. She only asks for the means to get the job done.
Let’s lend her a hand.