There is a former competitive figure skater living in Beacon Hill and she has returned to perform and teach in the sport she loves.
Victoria “Torie” Wojick, 36, who moved to Beacon Hill in 2014, recently performed in the American Contemporary Skating Festival at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton. A former elite skater, Wojick will be teaching in a Learn To Skate program at the rink, which also serves as the practice facility for the Boston Bruins.
Wojick continues to support figure skaters. She attended the Aug. 26 U.S. Figure Skating X Fashion: Styling 2027 exhibition at View Boston located at the top of the Prudential Center.
Wojick, an outstanding artist and choreographer, greeted two-time U.S. Olympian Olympic gold medalist Alisa Liu, former Olympian Johnny Weir, and well-known skate dress designer Lisa McKinnon at the event. Wojick displayed her own stylishness with a multi-colored crystal-beaded dress, that flawlessly combined skating and evening attire – drawing much praise from attendees for her fashion choice.
Connecticut roots and
an entrance into the world
of figure skating
Wojick grew up in the small, shoreline town of Killingworth, Connecticut.
“We only have one traffic light,” said Torie, smiling. “It was a great place to grow up. But I always knew I wanted to move out of state to Boston.”
She put on her first pair of skates at the age of four. Her parents also encouraged her to take part in other sports such as horseback riding and gymnastics.
“I began figure skating lessons when I was 10 in a learn-to-skate program at Wesleyan University’s ice arena – which was a little late in the game, but before that I was a dancer and did every type of dance under the sun – ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop,” recalled Wojick. “I competed in a lot of freestyle and synchronized skating events.”
Coached by national, world, and Olympic champions, Wojick qualified for the national synchronized skating championships in 2006 before transitioning to ice dance events.
At one point in her figure skating career, Wojick had a skating coach, personal trainer, a choreographer, a ballet coach, a costume designer, and a jumping coach.
“But I began to feel really burnt out from the sport,” related Wojick. “It wasn’t because of anyone else. I just put so pressure on myself. There were too many societal pressures back then about what a skater should look like and how old a skater should be. At the age of 17, I felt like I was over the hill. Now as an adult, I have a very different perspective on figure skating. I do it because I love it.”
A decision to attend
grad school at Emerson
Torie attended Haddam-Killingworth High School which has its own television studio. Upon graduation, she matriculated at Central Connecticut State University where she majored in Media Production.
“In high school I was introduced to Final Cut Pro (video editing software created by Apple) and I was really intimidated by it at first, ”recalled Torie. “I was afraid I might delete something. It wasn’t until I got to Central Connecticut that I really fell in love with video editing and I wanted to do more of it. But we didn’t have a lot of classes in it, so I ended up taking broadcast journalism courses, so I could edit together news packages. But it wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
In her junior year, Wojick turned her focus to applying to graduate school. She took on some freelance editing projects and began teaching in “Learn To Skate” programs.
She eventually enrolled in graduate school at Emerson College in Boston, where she had previously audited two classes. Emerson ranks No. 5 on the Hollywood Reporter’s list of best U.S. film schools.
“Emerson was the only school I applied to,” said Wojick. “I knew they had a really robust post-production setup, and that was just what I wanted to do. I worked really hard throughout 2013. I took on internships where I was able to connect with industry professionals.”
Upon receiving her graduate degree in Film and Media Art, she worked in the media industry for four years as a post-production coordinator at post-studios in Boston.
“I really liked the work and being able to work with clients and also see how some of the editors were doing their job, and that gave me a solid foundation for my field,” said Wojick.
Wojick became a part-time instructor at Emerson College, where “I was able to bring what I learned from the industry into classroom.”
This semester, she is taking a break to focus on skating, freelance film projects, and her art, “but I’m looking into teaching post-production workshops at Emerson.”
She will also be teaching in the Learn-To-Skate program at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton.
“I really love that I can find time to skate, but I can also have time to teach, to do freelance projects, and to make art – it’s nice that I have some control over my schedule and be able to do things that I love,” said Wojick.
A return to skating
After a 12-year hiatus from performing in figure skating shows, Wojick returned to live performances in 2021, connecting with Kate McSwain, co-CEO of American Ice Theatre, who encouraged Wojick to perform in the aforementioned American Contemporary Skating Festival.
“I choreographed and skated in a routine called “Glitter on the Dance Floor,” in the the festival,” she said. “I took bits and pieces from almost every program that I had ever done. I really loved having that creative freedom, and I’m so grateful to Kate for allowing me to have that opportunity. I had so much fun performing again. I realized that skating can be for people of any age and you can start at any age. There is no expiration date.”
Enjoying the Beacon Hill
community
Wojick said she has become a proud resident of the Beacon Hill neighborhood.
“What I love so much about Beacon Hill is the community here,” said Wojick. “Everyone is always looking out for each other. I often go to the Beacon Hill Athletic Club, and that’s also where I started working again. I love the space and I love getting to know my neighbors. I love our Halloweens and the Holiday Strolls. Beacon Hill is a tight-knit community.”
Wojick is a self-taught artist from a family of artists. “My grandmother, who was also an artist, taught me a little about water color, which was her medium, but I realized it wasn’t for me. I preferred drawing with graphite and charcoal,” said Wojick.
Wojick said she didn’t become familiar with the Beacon Hill Art Walk until 2018.
“When I first saw the Art Walk, I was just so inspired,” said Wojick. “I was wandering around at the Walk and took this picture of a typewriter that was on a table. The years went by and the pandemic happened, and then I got re-inspired and I attended the Walk and thought to myself, ‘Why am I not a part of this event, too? I love making art and I live in Beacon Hill. I should put my work out there and see what happens.’’’
“In 2025, I sent in my application to the Art Walk and I was accepted. While I was at the event, I began drawing the typewriter at my table. I finally got to put in on display this year, and a woman approached and said to me, ‘I had that exact typewriter in high school,’ so that was the first piece of artwork that I sold.” In that moment of selling her drawing of a typewriter, Wojick “felt like I had come full circle.”
As for her current endeavors, Wojick plans to continue performing. “When I was a kid, my parents (Frank and Debbie Wojick) were (and still are) amazing and so supportive. They’ve always said, ‘We just want you to be happy.’’’
Thirty years after first lacing up her skates, Wojick is back on the ice, doing what makes her happy and finding happiness in Beacon Hill.”
(You can see her “Glitter on the Dance Floor” performance on YouTube and find her next year at the Beacon Hill Art Walk).