Nationals-bound Kieu Simms hopes to grow sport of artistic roller skating
Jul 28, 2025
The Brief
- 17-year-old Kieu Simms qualified for nationals for a fifth time in artistic roller skating.
- She can qualify for the world championships at nationals in Reno, Nevada.
- Her goal is to grow the sport of artistic roller skating.
HUDSON, Fla – Kieu Simms fell in love with artistic roller skating when she was four years old.
“I saw a girl from the skating club doing tricks,” Simms said. “I was like, ‘I want to do that.'”
Now, she’s doing that and more – she puts her heart and soul into the sport.
“I’m pretty much ready for anything from all the training,” Simms said. “You want to make sure you are focused on yourself and not anyone who is watching.”
The backstory:
The 17-year-old’s training is top notch. The Florida Cyber Charter Academy student spends roughly 20 hours a week at the rink. However, on top of that, her parents drive an additional 20+ hours a week all over Florida just to find an open roller rink to grow her skills. Sometimes that even means training at 2 a.m. If the rink is open, Simms will be there.
“When her family brought her to me, I just was really amazed by the family support that she gets,” Kieu’s coach Karyn Cormier said. “It does take a lot to become a good skater.”
Good might not even be the best word to describe the Hudson native’s abilities.
“I think little me would definitely be proud of where I’m at,” Simms said.
That’s because Simms is going to nationals in Reno, Nevada again after finishing in first at regionals in all three of her events – World Skate Junior Figures, Junior Dance and Senior Figures. It will be her fifth time on the national stage.
“It was good,” Simms said. “I was really hoping I would obviously, because now the nationals is also a qualifier for the world championships.”
She’s been there on the world stage before too. Simms competed in Germany in 2023.
“It’s pretty cool, because you meet a lot of new people, and you make a lot of friends,” Simms said. “Because the world, it’s pretty big in roller skating, but it’s also small, because, you know, not a lot of people know the sport.”
That’s why Simms has made it her mission to maximize the coverage of artistic roller skating.
What they’re saying:
“I want to see the sport grow, and I feel like that’s the easiest way to do it is by coaching,” Simms said. “I like teaching. I like passing on the knowledge of my coaches and people I’ve taken from.”
She’s already doing that with a four-year-old named Sevyn. Simms helped her win silver in the Tiny Tot Freestyle.
“She just started skating two months ago,” Simms said. “She’s like, the cutest little thing, and she practices really hard.”
All Simms hopes for is that her own hard work to help make artistic roller skating more practiced worldwide pays off.
“I think we’re really starting to progress again from, you know, in the world skate categories,” Simms said. “I think we’re getting there.”
And of course, Kieu hopes she can get back to the World Stage again too.
“It’s a good experience,” Simms said.
What’s next:
Simms will compete in the artistic roller skating national championships. The competition gets rolling on Friday, July 11.