Every once in a while a figure skater comes along who touches an audience’s heart and dazzles those with a technical eye. Josh Farris is that rare skater.

When you float the name Joshua Farris to a skating enthusiast, you hear phrases like “brilliant interpretation,” “gorgeous lines,” “classic edging skills mixed with modern movement,” “innovative spins” and “pure jumping technique.”

The past couple of years have not progressed as Josh envisioned for his skating career. Following successive concussions during the summer of 2015 and upon the advice of a cautious medical team, Josh stepped away from competitive skating in June 2016. The possibility of returning to the ice rink, even for activities less demanding than competitive skating, seemed distant. During his arduous journey toward recovery, Josh sought guidance from concussion specialists, who assessed his improvements at every juncture. He took comfort and gained strength knowing he was supported by a deep network of family and coaches working together to make his hope of returning to skating a reality.

In a recent interview Josh told  Icenetwork, “I have surrounded myself with an excellent and sturdy team. They have to remind me, ‘Hey, this is why you’re doing this. You’re skating to skate.’ That’s why I’m coming back. I have a lot of faith in my support team. They can bring me back to that.”

Supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities know that when a child is hospitalized, the healing power of having family nearby is critical. Families who rely on their services to gain access to cutting-edge medical treatments know RMHC of Central Ohio makes all the difference. A recent guest said, “We had all the comforts of home, yet we were 1,000 miles from home.”

As you can see, Josh is back on the ice training for the love of the sport. Fans are thrilled to see snippets of his spectacular progress posted on social media, while coaches and skaters at the training rink report his skating skills are better than ever. Skate It Forward is honored that Josh will share a weekend with us and perform in our inaugural ice show, May 6 at the OhioHealth Ice Haus. We are thrilled to welcome Josh to Columbus and can hardly wait to see him work his magic on the ice once again!

Josh is the 2013 Junior World Champion, the 2015 U.S. Championships Bronze Medalist, and the 2015 Four Continents Silver Medalist.  Connect with Josh on Instagram @joshdfarris   Twitter @joshDFarris and his Official Website. View Josh’s SIF video announcement.