Saturday’s forecasted temperatures should be just about perfect for Brooke Gewalt to get out on McHenry’s ice rink.

Ice that is too hard can cause injuries, and with more national competitions coming up, the 21-year-old Team USA skater needs to stay healthy.

“When it is too cold, you don’t get the best skating on super-hard ice,” Gewalt said. “When it is a little warmer, I am able to move a little better.”

Gewalt, of McHenry, will be displaying her figuring skating skills and helping young skaters develop theirs at the first-ever Heart of the Fox event. Set for 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Miller Point Park, the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors the event. The event was bumped from the previous Saturday because of its bone-chilling temperatures.

This, and other quarterly events the Chamber hopes to sponsor, want to show area youth what other young people from the area have achieved, said Jocelyn Eisenmenger, the Chamber’s tourism and economic growth director.

Gewalt is one of 18 skaters on Team USA Figure Skating team.

“That is the top level of qualification for skating, that they chose you to compete internationally,” she said.

Gewalt’s set to compete Jan. 4 to 11 in St. Louis for the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

She will not be among the three Team USA figure skaters going to the Winter Olympics – this year in Italy from February 6-22 – and instead will be watching the games from home while continuing to practice her skills.

Realistically, she’s eyeing the 2030 games in France, Gewalt said, “I will keep trying for that.”

She started skating when she was just 3, when her parents, Karl and Ellen, took her to the Crystal Ice House for lessons.

“I started in mommy-and-tot classes,” Gewalt said.

Demonstrating ice skating skills at the park may introduce other skaters to the sport, she added.

“I will be skating a few times and leading little classes to introduce different age groups to it,” she said. “It is what I love ... getting on the ice to inspire.”