Beyond the ice: Exploring Kat Lacanilao’s diverse passions

In a world where passions often align with traditional paths, Kat Lacanilao stands as a shining example of someone who dares to be extraordinary. As an influencer with over 122,000 followers, figure skater, and motorsports enthusiast, her story is nothing short of spectacular.

Let's take a peek into the life and achievements of this go-getter who stands with a total medal count of 17 golds and eight silvers on top of four trophies.

A journey on ice

Ever since she was a child, Kat has already been enthralled with ice skating—watching Ice Princess over and over again and even acting as if she were a skater herself on the ground.

Eventually, her parents decided to let her take basic lessons at the SM Megamall Skating Rink when she was five. Even then, she loved the feeling of being on the ice especially right after the Zamboni just finished cleaning it. Unlike other children who fell in love with the sport, however, Kat did not get to continue this dream. Just a few weeks after her first set of lessons, the SM Megamall Skating Rink had announced that it would be closing down. From there, Kat’s dreams of being a figure skater seemingly ended.

She decided to give gymnastics a try at the age of seven which, although she enjoyed it, just didn’t feel the same. While her coaches saw her potential to be a prodigy, she recalls hiding under trampolines to dodge the pressure. They pushed her too hard.

From that point on, she chose not to pursue any sports until she was convinced to try out for track and field by her high school friends. By then, the SM Megamall Skating Rink had already been reopened just a year prior and she was so excited to keep coming back. She spent countless hours trying to convince her parents to let her try figure skating again—even offering to save up for a cheap pair of secondhand skates.

Being 14 at that time, there was a lot of hesitation from her parents especially with the stigma that you cannot start a sport once you reach a certain age. But year after year, she kept asking. One day, just a few months before she turned 17, she saw a cheap brand-new pair of Soft Skates for less than P1,000. She excitedly picked it up and asked once again for permission to give it a shot. Though her parents also had a fear of her being unable to take the pressure of coaching, being in track and field showed that with the right coach, she can improve and still be cared for properly at the same time.

From that point on, she excitedly trained three times a week and practiced even after her coaching sessions had ended. What her mom thought to be just a fun summer activity for Kat ended up being a sport that she poured her heart and time into, with her eventually winning several local competitions and categories.

From ice to the Internet

Kat may have been shy and reserved in high school, but there was a part of her that had always wanted to become a content creator. She would upload numerous skits with her friends and share her hauls, experiences, and photo diaries. Just a few months before the pandemic, Kat got her first message from a local brand—and she accepted the offer.

Over the pandemic, she was still doing content and had a decent following on Facebook for her gaming streams and on Instagram, where she shared more day-to-day content. But it was her figure skating content that captured the attention of the public, especially on TikTok.

Social media users got to know this girl who began pursuing her dream even when everyone told her that it was too late. She shared with everyone the sport that she loved so much and even inserted her own brand of humor into it, earning her millions of views and likes on her TikTok account alone.

What surprised many is that beyond her daily life, influencer events, school, and figure skating, she still pursued many of her other interests—one of these being motorsports.

A unique style of content creation

What distinguishes Kat from the sea of influencers is her uniqueness and authenticity. Through her content, she shares glimpses of her life both on and off the ice and talks about her journey as an adult figure skater, a woman in motorsports, and her everyday life as a girl living in the Philippines.

She also loves to share what products and services work for her, giving her audience insights into multiple industries, especially with all the things she enjoys doing. In a week, you’ll catch her at various influencer events, training at the rink, working her day job, revving gears at the track, and simply going out to enjoy her life. Through each content she posts, we are introduced to her world and the stereotypes she aims to break.

What truly resonated with her audience was her story as a girl who chased her dream even when everyone said it was too late. This even encouraged several viewers of all ages to try out figure skating. She isn’t afraid to show that she is not the perfect athlete either and even when she doesn’t do it right, she's willing to reset and try again. At the same time, Kat shows the other side of being an athlete where she admits to her audience there are times she doesn’t feel 100%—mentally, emotionally, or physically—and reminds everyone to know their limits and never give up.

Kat’s content is not only inspiring and different from what we usually see, but also real, humorous, and relatable. Her uniqueness and authenticity has made her a role model for dreamers and creators who aspire to share their passions with the world. She stands as proof that it is never too late and that dreams will only stay as dreams if you don’t act on them.

Check out Kat Lacanilao on TikTok and Instagram.

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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Kat Lacanilao.