A three-time figure skating world champion and Boston College student is training to run the 2026 Boston Marathon in memory of a friend and mentor who was killed when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight last year.
Jinna Han, 13, and her mother Jin, Spencer Lane, 16, and his mother Christine, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, all members of the Boston Skating Club, were among those killed in the January 2025 tragedy in Washington, D.C. 67 One of the people.
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For 19-year-old Jasmine Lanata, who has been skating at the club for more than a decade, the victim was more than just a friend and mentor.
“Looking back, it’s hard to know that those were our last moments on the ice,” Ranata said, looking at a photo of herself and Kinna after the 2024 performance. “Growing up there, it felt like almost losing a family member.”
Lanata said Kinna was a passionate performer with a bubbly personality and Spencer was a “charming skater” who had close relationships with the other boys in the club. Shishkova and Naumov were committed to the club and its athletes, she recalled
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“You always see how much dedication they put into the sport,” Ranata said. “We all look up to them as role models.”
A few months after the disaster, Lanata contacted the directors of the Boston Skating Club and asked them for permission to hold the Boston Marathon and raise funds for the club’s “Forever Champions” scholarships for young skaters.
“My first thought was, ‘How can I support the club?'” Lanata said. “The club has helped me a lot growing up. It feels like a home.”
Lanata and club skater father Tu Jing received charity bibs from the Boston Athletic Association.
In January, on the one-year anniversary of the tragedy, Jasmine met her fundraising requirement of $7,500.
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By Tuesday, she had earned more than $11,000 and raised her goal to $15,000 before Monday’s marathon.
Ranata, a Setuis native, is a former track and cross-country runner who completed a half-marathon last year.
As she prepares for April, the BC sophomore knows where her mental toughness and inspiration come from.
“I remind myself that even a hard run over the winter— [it] Definitely because of the snow and ice — the reason I do it,” Ranata said. “It really helps me on the tough days. “
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