The 2026 Empire State Winter Games (ESWG) wrapped up its northeastern competition this weekend in Lake Placid. As Olympic fans follow winter sports from their couches, several thousand spectators braved sub-30-degree temperatures to cheer on athletes in person in New York.
At this year’s ESWG, a historic 832 figure skaters took to the ice inside the historic 1932 and 1980 Olympic rinks. Just like on the Olympic stage, spectators enjoyed multiple displays of grace and poise from all age groups. Fans also found a way to cheer on the underdog.
Adult skater Melissa Pepling had waited her turn for two days this past weekend. Not because she wanted to, but because her age group didn’t perform until Sunday afternoon.
“As an adult skater, sometimes you feel they’re like, ‘Why is this old person skating?’” Pepling said.
Pepling doesn’t let that phase her. She walked through the halls of the arena named after the coach who led the 1980 U.S. men’s hockey team to an unprecedented victory over the Soviet Union. Many who surrounded her had been competing at the ESWG since childhood.
But Pepling didn’t lace up her first pair of skates until her 30s.
“When I was in grad school, I was getting a PhD. I didn’t skate, but I loved watching skating,” she said.
She began group lessons in 1996, where she practiced alongside children who were half her age. On top of that, Pepling balanced course work and her thesis on genetics. When it came time to find a job, she knew she wanted a place to support both her passions.
“Syracuse actually had the best offer… I love teaching and I love research,” Pepling said.
She first joined Syracuse University’s Biology Department as an assistant professor, before eventually she rose through the ranks. Now, she serves as the department chair.
But on competition days, her focus shifts far from the university.
Only two years ago, the Games did not allow adults to compete in figure skating.
“I could never go… and I always wanted to. I think I might have complained a couple times,” Pepling said.
This year, dressed in a Chicago-musical themed leotard, Pepling gets another chance. Just before her routine, the professor paced the dim-lit hallways behind the rink to calm her nerves.
As her name rang out on the speakers, the opening notes of “Roxie” accompanied Pepling while she blew a quick kiss to the judges. Her performance consisted of confidence and flair.
“Overall, it felt really good, but I was a little tight, and so my jumps weren’t very high,” she said fresh off the ice. “But I did really well with expression toward the judges.”
While her performance did not place on the podium, her drive resonated with the audience, especially the younger skaters.
“I think it's like really, really brave of her to like go out there and like do what makes her happy,” said 12-year-old Charlotte Madison.
And it even left an impact on Charlotte’s mother, Amanda.
“It shows some longevity in the sport,” Amanda added. “It shows her that even when she’s older and she has other life commitments like Melissa does, you know Melissa’s a professor, that you can still take time for yourself, which I think is really important as women that we learn that lesson.”
Pepling’s “Roxie” may not have earned a medal, but her journey at the Games served as a reminder that passion never has an end date.
