By the time Emerson Study could walk, she was already gliding across the floor on roller skates. At just 10 months old, her parents put her in skates for the first time, and by 18 months, they transitioned her to inline skates. By five years old, she made the bold declaration: “I’m ready to race.” Her first competition? Regionals. She qualified for nationals.
After many years, hard work and major setbacks, Emerson’s childhood dream has come true at 17 years old—she’s made the U.S. Junior World Team for inline speedskating and will represent her country at the World Championships in China this September.
“It’s something we’ve dreamed about since she was tiny,” says her mom, Rachel Study, general manager of the Humble Family Skate Center, which was built by her late father and still owned by her mother, Gloria Tate. “It’s been in her blood since birth.”
Emerson has trained on and off the track her entire life, coached by her dad Jack Study, even skating full marathons by the age of 10 (the youngest at the time to ever skate a marathon). She has raced internationally in France and Portugal, trained at specialized tracks in Florida and spent years lifting, working and skating her way toward her goal.
But last year, she faced a major setback with a pain in her ankle that nobody could figure out. Eventually, a doctor in The Woodlands discovered a calcium deposit and after five rounds of an innovative treatment, she returned to training.
Six weeks off skates and months of uncertainty nearly derailed her path. The comeback wasn’t just physical. Emerson worked with a sport psychologist to overcome nerves that used to take over at competitions. “Last year I didn’t trust in my ability,” she says. “Now I remind myself: I’m here because I belong here.”
Through all the challenges, Emerson has become a role model. During competitions, little girls often ask for photos. And through Be-YOUnique—an online Facebook group she founded during the pandemic—Emerson encourages more than 150 girls worldwide to support each other.
“There was a moment around age 12 when I wanted to quit,” Emerson admits. “And a time last year too. But each time I felt that way and took a few days off, I have realized I truly love skating and don’t know what I’d do without it. It feels like home.”