Each Of The Young Figure Skaters Killed In The Dc Plane Crash Had A Story Waiting To Be Told

The young figure skaters whose lives were cut tragically short Wednesday night when an American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River were just beginning their journeys to stardom.

They were learning how to perfect toe loops and axels, sit spins and step sequences. They had just been to a development camp after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where they had been learning how to skate with grace and flair.

Some, like Spencer Lane, had built substantial followings on social media, giving their fans an inside look at the life of an aspiring Olympian. Others, like Jinna Han, dazzled even experienced figure skaters with her preternatural ability.

"We're such a tight-knit community - the skating community - that, you know, everybody knows each other in some way or another, or connected in some way," said Melissa Gregory, a former Olympic ice dancer with her husband, Dennis Petukhov.

"It's just hard, you know? To the family - the skating family - that all these people have been harmed in some way by this tragedy," Gregory continued. "There were so many young, up-and-coming, bright stars that were on that plane, and amazing coaches that were coaching bright stars. We're going to be feeling this for a long time."