Engulfed in a snowsuit and padded with his helmet and gloves, a three-year-old, purple-cheeked Danny Cockriel waddled onto ice for the first time at his local rink in Englewood, Colorado. Cockriel was a member of the Learn to Skate program and he, like the other members, fell. A lot.

Every time he hit the ice, he’d look up at his mom and she’d run to the glass shouting, “Danny! Danny! Do you want to sit out?” Every time, his response was to shake his head ‘no.’ Every time, he’d continue on.