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When American Airlines flight 5342 crashed on its approach to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 29, 14 members of the skating community, including skaters, family members and coaches were on the flight, according to the Associated Press. All were returning home from the development camp. The crash left no survivors.

Anna's father Dennis Waugh said she knew all of them. 

“Anna and her mother knew all of the skaters,� Waugh said. “Anna had just skated against one of them in Salt Lake City back in June.�

Anna followed many of the skaters on social media and talked to them regularly. Anna and her mother Masha were planning to fly to Boston for the World Figure Skating Championship in March where they will reunite with friends in the Boston skating community. Two skaters from Boston were killed in the crash, according to the Associated Press.

“She went up there and practiced in Boston for two weeks,� Waugh said. “That was back in April. … She knew all the coaches, too. Everyone that was involved in the skating that was on that plane, Anna knew and she had been in contact with.�

Two coaches also on the plane were former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The pair coached at the Boston Skating Club where Anna trained for two weeks last spring. 

Waugh said his daughter is dealing well with the loss of so many in the figure skating community. The online skating community is helping support Anna as members of the figure skating community check in on each other.

Anna is also getting back out on the ice. On Saturday, she returned to the ice for the first time after missing two weeks due to COVID-19.

Anna and her mother are still planning to visit Boston for the World Championships in March. But the pair probably won't fly, Waugh said.

“They were planning on flying," he said. "But now, they’re going to drive.�

A different kind of year

Anna spent most of 2024 training at Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, skating in shows and working on her skills tests.

She completed a skills test to reach the senior level in December, less than a month after her 13th birthday. Waugh said she passed the test with exceptionally high marks.

“You can pass with a zero,� Waugh said. “She got sevens, eights and nines and got high honors. The judges wrote all kinds of remarks about her skating.�

Anna is now qualified for the senior level in freestyle, ice dance and skating skills. Skaters call this being a triple gold medalist, Waugh said.

“That’s the same senior test that the Olympic champions have to take,� Waugh said. “It has taken nine years of testing. There’s probably two dozen tests you have to do and she never ever failed a test. She passed it on the first try every time.�

Waugh said Anna won’t be eligible for the Olympics until 2030 due to age requirements, but competing in the Olympics is Anna’s long-term goal.

Better together

Anna found a new ice dancing partner in 2024. Ethan Peng trains with Anna in Indian Trail. The two have known each other for more than five years.

Anna and Ethan will compete in ice dance at the novice level this year.

“They are unbelievable together,� Waugh said. “They’ll be really good. … All they’ve got to do is keep practicing and polishing their performance. There’s no reason they can’t finish in the top-five in the U.S. this year on their first time out.�

Waugh said a solid showing like that will keep Anna on track for her Olympic aspirations.

“They are the perfect age to be doing this,� Waugh said. “If they do good next year, they can jump right up into juniors. They can do that for two or three years and then they can jump right up into senior, they should be ready to go."

Still, Waugh knows there is a lot of work ahead for Anna and Ethan before they have a chance to make their Olympic dreams a reality.

“She’s just got to stay on course,� he said. “She can’t have any deviation. She just has to stay on course and not veer off of it.�