Skater with Autism Will Perform at 'The Music of Seal on Ice'

Teenager figur skater Krista Kellner, who has autism, will take to the ice for a solo performance as part of “The Music of Seal on Ice,” which benefits Autism Speaks. Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Seal will perform live during this one-time-only music and skating production, while a cast of skaters including Olympic Gold Medalists Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano, plus many other world and national champion skaters, interpret the music on ice. The event will take place on Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. and will be televised nationwide on NBC from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST on New Year's Day. $5.00 from every ticket sold will be donated to Autism Speaks.Ice skating helped Kellner discover her competitive spirit and strengthened her confidence in learning to live with autism. At a young age, Kellner was frightened of large crowds, but she has now proudly performed two solo performances in front of 2000 people. “The Music of Seal on Ice” will be her third and largest performance.Her parents Dave and Maria Kellner say “the focus and discipline of skating helped her to focus better while studying for school.” While Kellner has struggled in other areas of her life, she excelled at ice skating and learned to apply that same hard work and dedication to school and music study, achieving an A- average.Kellner's coach, Elizabeth O'Donnell, is the founder of Gliding Star, a leader in adaptive ice skating for people with physical, mental, emotional or multiple challenges. O'Donnell began teaching adaptive ice skating in 1976 in Buffalo, N.Y. O'Donnell began working with Kellner when she was three years old.