Alumni Athlete: Dinh Tran ’20

This article was originally published in the 2021–22 Convent & Stuart Hall Alumni Bulletin as part of a story featuring alumni who have gone on to achieve great athletic success in college and beyond.

When ice skating rinks closed as lockdown measures took effect, Dinh Tran ’20 was forced to get creative with his figure skating training regimen. “I was doing almost a full hour of conditioning, stretching and stamina work, and I also trained with exercises to assist with my on-ice jumping and spinning,” he says, conceding that training on solid ground felt unnatural. 

Eager to skate again, Dinh returned to competition in early 2021 and placed 10th at the U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas. Later in the year, Dinh represented the United States in a senior international competition and admits that he did not perform as well as he had hoped. “I am now working hard to revise my training plan to maximize and improve all areas of my skating,” Dinh says. As a result, he went on to finish eighth in the men’s division at the 2022 U.S. National Championships in Nashville in mid-January. 

Most elite skaters start very young, and Dinh was no exception. After 14 years in the sport, he knows what it takes to still compete at an elite level. “Becoming an Olympic-level ice skater and being ranked with the top male ice skaters in the country is an extremely long process that involves discipline, practice and consistency.” 

In a way, Dinh’s dexterity as a master at juggling his time and priorities was developed at Stuart Hall. “Having had to balance a rigorous academic schedule with my work as a flutist and as an international competitor, it became essential for me to hone my multitasking skills,” he says. Dinh learned a few things along the way: Time management is a skill. Practicing good habits is imperative. Spend time with people who are self-disciplined. 

“Skating,” Dinh says, “sharpens both the mind and the body, which will definitely benefit me for all future endeavors.”