Skating his way to success

By Valorie Brecht Loyal native Timmy Zupanc has traveled near and far through his three years performing as a professional figure skater. But beyond the sights he’s seen, most meaningful have been the friendships made and the fulfillment of a dream.

Zupanc, who now lives in Minneapolis, just finished his final tour with Disney on Ice, which included the Middle East and several European countries. Before that, he did two North American tours, in which he performed in big cities all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Now, he is ready to transition into a coaching career and help train the next generation of young skaters.

But before all that, once upon a time he was just an 8-year-old from small-town Wisconsin who loved to skate.

“It started when I saw a Disney movie with a skater. I thought, ‘That looks really fun. I want to do that too.’ So my mom bought me skates at a garage sale and at that time, the fire department flooded that area in the Legion park to make a little rink and my mom took me there to try it out. I thought, ‘Hey, I’m pretty good!’ So my mom decided to give me skating lessons,” said Zupanc.

He took group classes in Marshfield and became more confident on the ice. He went away from skating for a few years, but eventually came back to it. Graduating from high school in 2016, he then attended college at UW-Eau Claire and started taking private skating lessons there. That was when he really committed to the sport.

“As a kid, I had been doing it more as a recreational thing, but in college is when I really got more into it. I really focused on improving myself and learning from my coaches,” said Zupanc.

Around his sophomore year, he started training in the Twin Cities area at Go4Gold Skating Academy in Shakopee. He would drive there a few times a week to take lessons. He spent about two hours on the ice every day, with one rest day per week, plus put in many additional hours conditioning.

“Competing was fun and I had a good time, but my biggest focus became passing all the levels of U.S. Figure Skating tests. I was older when I got my start, so I knew I would be competing against younger skaters and I wasn’t going to be as competitive,” said Zupanc. “I knew I was a good performer and I had gotten high marks in those categories, so I decided to go that route.”

In May 2020, he graduated from college with his organizational communications degree and continued to hone his skating technique. In September 2021, he passed his last gold level test for U.S. Figure Skating, making him a goldlevel skater in three categories. Three days after passing his third test, he began his employment with Disney on Ice.

“It was crazy because it was something I had been working toward for years and years (the U.S. Figure Skating tests), and I didn’t have time to totally process that because I left right away for the next thing,” said Zupanc.

He leaped into an intense practice schedule and met lots of new people as they prepared for the show. Zupanc played Flynn Rider from “Tangled,” Charlie from “Finding Dory” and Kristoff from “Frozen,” along with skating as part of the whole ensemble. While on tour, he would perform seven shows a week, sometimes more, including one show Thursday, one show Friday, three on Saturday and two on Sunday. Monday through Wednesday were his days to go sightseeing.

His first show was titled “Let’s Celebrate!,” which he did two tours of. After that show closed, he had an interest in going abroad and had the opportunity to transfer to another show titled “Dream Big.” He spent about a year with that show, starting with visiting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Then he had a four-month tour of Europe, visiting many metropolises including London, Paris, Barcelona, Geneva and Amsterdam.

Zupanc said there was always something new to take in and see.

“I had never been overseas before, so it was really cool having never experienced that. One thing that surprised me was in the Middle East, so many people spoke English. I did not expect that. Europe was really cool in that the countries are so close together, and yet the cultures are so different from country to country… But my favorite part was spending time with my friends. I met some really cool people that I became super close with. I had the opportunity to see places that might not have otherwise, because not many people can afford to take a four-month tour of Europe. So it was cool to be paid to see Europe for four months.”

He said Barcelona and London were his favorite locations to visit, London because of how gigantic it was and the big city feel, and Barcelona because of the beautiful weather and amazing food.

“The people in London and in Spain were also super warm and friendly,” he said. “It’s interesting to see how people interact with you in different places.”

He said traveling opened his eyes to different places, cultures and people. As much as it expanded his outward vision, it also expanded his inward vision.

“One hundred percent, I’ve grown personally and professionally. I feel that I’ve grown so much as a human being through this experience. I’ve learned to be confident with performing and to stand a little taller. Even doing media opportunities, it’s made me a more strong, independent, confident person… With every phase of my life, I’ve become more confident with myself and what I can offer.”

As amazing as the last three years has been, Zupanc decided it was time to leave because he wanted to be a normal person again and not live out of a suitcase anymore. He also wanted to be closer to his family. He decided to settle in the Twin Cities as he will be within a few hours of immediate family members and close to good skating. His last day on tour was March 24. He plans to start teaching skating lessons for all ages and hopes to help others find that same confidence he has found.

“I want to create a positive atmosphere, bring that energy to others and share that love of the sport with others,” said Zupanc.

Looking back, he is humbled by how far he’s come. “If anyone had ever told me as a kid that I would skate for Disney and pass the highest level, I wouldn’t have believed them,” he said. “It was my biggest dream to do this, and I think I did what I was supposed to do. For about three years I got to live that lifestyle. I got to do that young, fun exciting journey and now it’s time to settle down a little. I’m very grateful for the time I had there.”

He extended his appreciation to Debbie Warne-Jacobsen, his coach at Go4Gold Skating Academy, who helped him “immensely” in his career.

He also provided some encouragement to anyone wanting to pursue a seemingly far-fetched dream.

“Whatever your dream, set a plan and go after it with all your passion,” he said. “The person who works hard will always get farther than the very talented one. I believe in a strong work ethic. I skated and trained a lot to get to where I am today, but I get up every day and get to do something I love. Find something that makes the hard work not seem like hard work.”

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO