As far as she was concerned, Hannah Lipchin was destined to be on the ice.

Years later, she was determined to return to it.

A member of the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center's Steel City Blades synchronized skating team, the Mars Area Middle School seventh grader recently received a U.S. Figure Skating “Get Up Champion” award for a comeback from serious injury.

“She's been skating since she was two and a half,” Hannah's mother, Kari Lipchin, said. “Her older brother (Ethan Lipchin) was playing hockey and she wanted to play hockey, too.

“Hannah first learned skating on hockey skates. When she was about five, she saw a figure skating practice (at Island Sports Center). She decided she wanted to do that.

“We wound up changing skates,” her mother added.

Ethan continues to play hockey, now with the North Pittsburgh Wildcats and Mars junior varsity. Hannah successfully transitioned to figure skating and has been with the Steel City Blades for years.

“It's fun. I've loved it since I was little,” Hannah said.

But on Jan. 28 of last year, Hannah took a nasty fall during practice. She tried getting up to continue skating, but the pain was too much.

“She was doing a move with one leg in the air and the other foot supporting her,” Mrs. Lipchin described. “Her toe caught a divot in the ice and she went straight down.

“All of her weight, the force, fell on that knee.”

The result was a fractured patella and Hannah's leg was placed in a full cast from her groin to her ankle. The cast was removed March 13, just before the COVID-19 lockdown began.

Once the cast was off, Hannah was unable to walk or bend her knee at all, let alone skate.

“That was a situation where the COVID-19 shutdown may have helped her mentally,” synchronized skating coach Karen Volk said. “Hannah is such a giggly, happy kid. This injury was tough on her.

“But the fact nobody else could do anything either, for a while, made her realize she wasn't falling behind very much. She hit her rehab pretty hard.”

Ice rinks began re-opening in late May and Hannah worked all summer to regain her skills and her axle for skating purposes.

“That girl was devastated when the injury first happened,” Volk said. “She cried for a week. But I don't believe she ever thought she wasn't coming back to skating.”

Hannah went through painful physical therapy sessions during her rehab process.

“She struggled having to walk on crutches, had trouble getting around in school,” Mrs. Lipchin said. “But she stayed with it.”

Hannah said she had fallen on the ice before, “but I never got hurt.”

Did she ever think her skating career was over?

“No ... I was coming back,” she declared.

Come July of last year, Hannah passed her preliminary dance test. She passed her preliminary free-skate test in August. These are U.S. Figure Skating tests most skaters go through to eventually earn USFS gold medals in categories of skating.

Hannah has won a few medals in her day.

Shortly after returning to her team, she fell and broke her wrist. While able to resume skating only a week afterward, she was unable to practice jumps due to the brace she had to wear.

Still, Hannah cheered on both her Open Juvenile and Intermediate teams during their only competition in the fall.

“It was so hard on her, not being able to be out on the ice with her team,” her mother said.

But Hannah persevered. Now she's back — with the “Get Up Champion” moniker serving as a reminder of her battle.

“She never gave up,” Volk said. “Hannah is back landing difficult jumps, doing difficult moves. Seeing how far she's come in such a short time is amazing.

“We're proud of her. She should be proud of herself. She is one tough, determined kid.”