Ten-year-old Janea Kelty heads to Indiana this weekend for national roller sports figure skating title West Milford Janea Kelty’s activities are not unlike other 10-year-olds: gymnastics, dance, Girl Scouts, basketball, horseback riding and swimming. About three years ago, this soon-to-be fifth grader at Westbrook Elementary School tried roller skating for the first time ever. Boy, was that a great fit. This weekend Janea (pronounced Jane - a) is heading out to Fort Wayne, Indiana to compete in the roller figure skating national championships. And despite only skating for the past three years, Janea is making her third trip to the national competition. “She went for a play date to the Florham Park Rink and loved it,” said Janea’s mom, Donna Kelty. “The coaches saw her skate and said she had natural ability.” That started a whole new chapter in this young girl’s life. And, while her success with skating plays an important part in little Janea’s world, it is so much more important than that. You see, Janea has autism, a neurological disorder that affects communication and social interaction. Donna Kelty said that when Janea was invited on that play date at the roller rink when she was 7, she was practically non verbal. After beginning her skating practices, that all changed. “She became totally verbal,” said Janea’s mom. “Skating gave her so much confidence. She now has a sense of belonging. She blossomed.” And life hasn’t been quite the same since. Tight-knit family and friends Janea is part of a tight-knit family. Her mom, Donna, dad Jim, big sister Vanessa, niece Ava, and her beloved grandma and grandpa are her biggest supporters. Janea loves being a junior girl scout. She is a huge Seton Hall Pirates fan, her mom’s alma mater. And when asked what the best thing about skating is, she doesn’t hesitate: making friends with the other kids at her rink and from other clubs. “I like to see the kids from my club and from the other clubs,” said Janea. And that alone is music to her mom’s ears. Janea spends lots of time at the skating rink, practicing four days each week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. That includes individual practices and lessons. And she is quick to point out that you have to love this to do it so much. “You do it only if you like it,” said Janea. “It’s a lot of practice You have to like it.” Beyond that, Janea certainly found her nitch with roller figure skating. The coaches, Scott Bartell, her figures coach, and Phil, her free-style coach, saw talent in this young lady. What they couldn’t have foreseen was how this new activity would bring her out of herself and open her up to a world of friendship and accomplishment. “Skating had the same effect on her as hippotherapy has with other kids,” said Donna. According to the American Hippotherapy Association, hippotherapy is therapeutic horseback riding that promotes the use of the movement of the horse as a treatment for physical, occupational and speech-language therapy sessions for people living with disabilities. Hippotherapy has been shown to improve muscle tone, balance, posture, coordination, motor development as well as emotional well-being. On the national stage And Janea is excellent at what she does. She performs many of the same jumps that we are used to seeing when we watch ice figure skating. Her favorite? The flip. After skating for just six months she made the eastern regional team in 2009 that went to the national competition. Last year, too, she finished first in the region and fifth in the nation in her age group. And this weekend, this perky, sweet, adorable girl heads out to the nationals again. Is it nerve wracking for her? “No, I don’t get nervous,” said a confident Janea. “It’s just what you do.” This year her routine is from Cirque de Soleil’s show, “La Nouba.” Two years ago she was inspired by “The Lion King.” Janea is, by the way, a big Broadway fan - she loved “Hairspray.” Performing is definitely in her future. She’s already appeared in a commercial for the show “Bridezilla” and would love to do more in show business. “I like to perform and I love people,” said Janea, “especially people like my grandpa.” Big weekend ahead Well, this weekend should make Janea very happy. She will have the opportunity to perform for large crowds, including the people she loves so much. She will be wearing her beautiful black and green sparkly costume. She will be spending much time with the friends she’s made from all over the eastern region. And her hometown, West Milford, will be behind her in spirit all the way. For more information on roller figure skating, go to www.usarollersports.org. USA Roller Sports Championships The USA Roller Sports National Championships are taking place in Fort Wayne, Indiana through Aug. 8 at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum. About 2,000 skaters will compete in speed skating and figure skating events in various age classes. Some of the winners will go on to the Pan American games in Mexico in October, others are qualifying for the World Championships which will be held in Brazil in November. Skating gave her so much confidence. She now has a sense of belonging. She blossomed.” Donna Kelty, mother of 10-year-old roller figure skating champion, Janea.