It’s day 286 of Sophia Lazuli’s adult figure skating journey. Today’s outfit includes an orange skater skirt that floats above the ice while she practices sit spins and captures everything on video for her nearly 300K followers across Instagram and TikTok.

Sophia, 26, is a Guyanese figure skater and content creator who gives her viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the life of an adult learner—from first competition jitters to graceful spins on the ice. And her millions of likes prove that we are all on this journey along with her.

Have you picked up any new hobbies lately? Sometimes, the older we become, the less open we are to try something new. Life gets more expensive, and picking up a new hobby is often the last thing on our minds. Not only that, there tends to be less grace for adult learners, which makes the whole process feel intimidating—but, it can be done. Not convinced? Watch Sophia’s 286 day progression.

“Learning was hard and scary,” Sophia confessed in a TikTok. “But instead of feeling like I should quit when it got more challenging, every day I woke up thinking of ways that I could improve.”

Before starting nearly three years ago, she had very little interest in figure skating. The self-proclaimed “professional couch potato” didn’t grow up playing sports either. She did have an active imagination and a love for music. She would imagine music videos in her mind, and in those scenes, she was always skating."It looked so fun in my fantasy, so I mentioned it to my best friend, and she encouraged me,” recalled the born-and-raised New Yorker. “…I started and haven't looked back since."

Sophia began her journey in group skating lessons and now gets extra ice time during public skating sessions two to three times per week at her local rink. She has been documenting her journey on social media, from her very first day on the ice on August 29, 2021.

This was not an overnight process, however. Like many, she had a few concerns when starting her journey. Due to the lack of diversity, Sophia had never considered figure skating to be an option—not as a Guyanese woman and definitely not as an adult learner. Despite this, she decided to forge ahead. "My best friend shut those thoughts down," said Sophia, "… I'm so happy that I didn't let those fears and stigmas hold me back." Now, she has become much more familiar with Black skaters like French Olympian Maé Bérénice Méité, American figure skater Starr Andrews, and viral choreographer Elladj Baldé.

Sophia isn’t just learning about other Black figure skaters, she’s joining them. Through posting her journey online, she hopes to inspire other People of Color to take a leap of faith!—or maybe a layback spin.

"I think it's extremely important to put myself out there and show other people of color that there is space for us in the figure skating community," she said. "We belong just as much as anyone else, and it is possible for us just as much as anyone else." Sophia believes that figure skating is truly for everyone. That said, as far as hobbies go, figure skating can be costly and access-prohibitive. Sophia is very transparent about the cost on her platforms. She also acknowledges the financial privilege involved. She has found more affordable ways to pursue her dream, including free YouTube tutorials and buying second-hand when possible

Since her journey began, Sophia has learned more about herself and what she can do. "I love how skating makes me feel so free and capable," she said. "Being able to glide and feel the cold breeze on my face is such a surreal experience to me, but also the fact that I am doing that gliding on a big block of ice with knives attached to my boots is kind of insane and makes me feel like I can accomplish anything. "

The skills that Sophia has learned off the ice are just as critical as the ones she’s learned on it. "Skating has taught me the importance of consistency and determination," she said. No one is perfect immediately, and she recalls the times when she felt that certain moves were too tricky and considered giving up. She has stuck it out because practice makes progress, and when learning a new skill, it is vital to keep that in mind, especially on the hard days. "Things may not always happen for me at the timelines I want, but they happen for me at the perfect time I need it, and I would've never discovered that if I didn't stay consistent with skating," said Sophia.

Showing up for yourself and your goals, even when you don't want to, yields resilience and tenacity, which are valuable skills, even outside of hobbies. Sophia advises that anything is possible with patience and the understanding that progress is not linear. "You wouldn't have dreamed it if it wasn't something that was possible for you," she said, "Consistency will always bring you to your goals at the time that is best for you."

Sophia hopes her story will inspire others to chase their dreams and remind them that it is never too late to change course and take a new path. Rest days and days where you may not be at the top of your game are just as important as days you are. Sophia encourages listening to your body and always remembering why you started in the first place. That way, the hard days become more manageable.

Picking up a new hobby as an adult can be challenging but worthwhile. As Sophia demonstrates, trying something new can open up new parts of yourself. Her content is a source of motivation and a reminder that anyone can make a change. Every person and situation is different and nuanced, but there is no shortage of inspiration for incorporating something new into your life.