Coeur d'Alene teen achieves U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist status
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 1 year, 2 months AGO
Courtesy photo Lily Joubert, a senior at Coeur d'Alene High and resident of Hayden, recently passed her Gold Skating Skills test with U.S. Figure Skating.
Lily Joubert, a senior at Coeur d'Alene High and resident of Hayden, has achieved a major milestone in the sport of figure skating.
She passed her Gold Skating Skills test with U.S. Figure Skating, the governing body of the sport in the United States.
This accomplishment, achieved in January 2025, earned Lily the prestigious title of U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist, a recognition awarded only to athletes who have completed the highest level in the sport’s rigorous testing structure.
Lily is a member of the Spokane Figure Skating Club, which trains at Frontier Ice Arena in Coeur d’Alene. She has been skating since 2016.
The U.S. Figure Skating testing program serves as a benchmark of excellence, providing structured milestones for skaters. Each test passed represents not only a skater's technical growth but also their dedication, resilience, and commitment. On average, it takes six years for an athlete to pass the Gold Skating Skills test.
Test sessions are evaluated by certified U.S. Figure Skating officials and serve as both a prerequisite for higher-level competition and a personal achievement pathway. Passing the final test in each discipline elevates a skater to Gold Medalist status — an honor that few reach.
“I am incredibly proud of Lily for passing her Senior Skating Skills test,” said John Saitta, Lily’s U.S. Figure Skating coach — “a milestone that represents years of dedication, discipline, and love for the sport. Beyond her technical growth, Lily has become a true role model for our younger skaters. Her kindness, work ethic, and quiet leadership set a powerful example both on and off the ice. She shows them what’s possible with hard work and heart.”
"Lily is a standout member of our program” said Maureen Herr, director of the Spokane and Lake City Figure Skating Clubs and Lily’s current head coach. “She has risen through every single rank of the Lake City Figure Skating Learn to Skate program and then our Spokane Figure Skating Club program. Not only has she become a USFS Gold Medalist, but also a valued and fun junior coach for our young skaters. Her hard work and dedication is strongly admired by everyone in our program."
This summer Lily plans to compete at the U.S. Figure Skating National Showcase competition in Detroit, Mich. This fall Lily plans to attend Boise State University and continue skating with the Boise Figure Skating club.