Young Amherst autistic ice skater performs in D.C.

Krista Kellner of Amherst, a skater with Gliding Stars, was a soloist in "Musselman's Applesauce Presents The Music of Seal on Ice," at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. The performance will be broadcast nationwide on New Years Day.

Autistic teen Krista Kellner of Amherst was a soloist in "Musselman's Applesauce Presents The Music of Seal on Ice," held Dec. 18 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

The show starred singer and songwriter Seal, and the cast included Olympic gold medalists Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano, plus many other world and national champion skaters.

The show will be televised nationwide on NBC from 4 to 6 p.m., on New Year's Day.

Kellner says that skating helped her to discover her competitive spirit and strengthened her confidence in learning to live with autism.

At a young age, Kellner was frightened of large crowds, but she has now performed two solo performances in front of 2,000 people. "The Music of Seal on Ice" was her third and largest performance.

"Skating in the show is so exciting," she said. "I like to skate in front of my family and friends, and a lot of people. I feel happy when I skate to the beautiful and exciting music."

Her parents, Dave and Maria, noted that "the discipline involved in skating helped her to focus better while studying for school."

It has also allowed her father to share the experience with her early on as Kellner's volunteer. While struggling in other areas of her life, Kellner has excelled at ice skating and has learned to apply that same hard work and dedication to school and music study, her parents say.

This ambitious high school student is in advanced Spanish and holds an A- average in most of her other classes. She's been on the honor roll since fifth grade and enjoys playing the clarinet.

Her magical fantasy idea and drawings were chosen this year as the theme of the 2008 show for her ice skating club, Gliding Stars.

"I feel you can be who you want to be when you skate. I feel free on the ice. I can be who I want to be. I can do anything I want," she said.

Gliding Stars, with headquarters in Amherst, is a leader in adaptive ice skating for people with physical, mental, emotional or multiple challenges. Kellner's coach, Elizabeth O'Donnell, is the founder who began teaching adaptive ice skating in 1976 in Buffalo.

O'Donnell has been working with Kellner since she was 3 years old.

"Krista screamed her entire first year on ice but by age 7 was skating at an intermediate level and by age 8, was an advanced ice skater," said O'Donnell. "As a performer Krista has great presence and keeps thinking about each move as it comes up. She chose her own music and loves portraying it on the ice."

The "Music of Seal on Ice" will benefit Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to increasing awareness of autism and to raising money to fund scientists who are searching for a cure.

More information about Gliding Stars is available by calling 608-8345, or by visiting its Web site at www.glidingstars.org