On This Is My Thing, our continuing mission is to talk with people about the things they do just for themselves – not because it’s their job and not because it’s a responsibility, just because they love to do it. The stuff you do because it’s your thing.
On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re just in time to just miss the Winter Olympics! But we’re talking about winter sports anyway, specifically figure skating. And more specifically, team synchronized figure skating. This particular version of ice skating, which is done not by solos or pairs but by teams of eight to twenty skaters, isn’t in the Olympics (not yet, anyway) but that doesn’t make our guest Heather Cooke love it any less.
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Heather Cooke puts on her skates at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke puts on her skates at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke warms up on the ice at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke stands for a portrait on the ice at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke puts on her skates at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke’s skates at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke’s bag from her figure making team, Stars of Austin, at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke warms up on the ice at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke lays out her medals she’s earned at figure skating competitions with her team, the Stars of Austin, at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke warms up on the ice at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke warms up on the ice at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
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Heather Cooke warms up on the ice at The Crossover sports complex in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Kennedy Weatherby/KUT
Kennedy Weatherby/Kennedy Weatherby / KUT News
An occasional ice skater in her school days, Heather didn’t really fall in love with the sport until years later, when she found team synchronized skating. She joined the team on her 50th birthday (almost 13 years ago) and has been skating ever since, with no plans to stop any time soon.
On this page, you can listen to the on-air version of this story, but if you check out the This Is My Thing podcast feed, you’ll find a longer version of this piece (as well as some older pieces you might have missed or might just want to listen to again). There’s some great stuff in there that couldn’t fit into the shorter on-air version. Why does Heather love dancing in a Cookie Monster costume? Listen to the podcast to find out!
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