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From the moment Patrick Blackwell first stepped onto the ice at just two years old, his path to skating success was already in motion. His mother, a former senior-level figure skater from Germany, introduced both her children to the sport early, believing it was important to start young if they were ever going to take it seriously. While Patrick admits those earliest memories are a bit hazy, one moment still stands out vividly. “It’s hard to describe a specific time I remember,” he reflects. “But one of my best memories was landing my double Axel at my home rink in Warwick. That moment really marked my success that year at sectionals and the juvenile level.”

Patrick shares a close bond with his sister Charlotte, rooted deeply in their shared beginnings on the ice. “We grew up skating together in our small home club named Warwick, where we both progressed quickly and eventually made it out somewhere,” he recalls.

While their skating paths have taken different directions, Patrick speaks with pride about Charlotte’s achievements. “Yeah, my sister Charlotte skates, and while she may not be on the level I am in single skating, she’s made her way up by joining the Skyliners synchro team and went to compete at the World Championships last year,” he says. “I’m very happy for her achievement and look forward to making more memories.”

The 2024-25 season was a turning point for Blackwell, but not one he had expected. Coming off a broken collarbone the year before, he entered the season with no real expectations and no pressure. “I really wasn’t expecting much,” he says. “I hadn’t been to many big competitions, mostly just National Qualifying Series events. Honestly, I was just skating to have fun. And that definitely paid off.”

“But for me, my season started off just throwing it into my choreo sequence and having a good time.”

That carefree spirit carried over to his performances at the Junior Team Cup, where he surprised everyone, even himself, by taking gold. “It was definitely a surprise,” he admits. “I was looking at all these good skaters who I thought were better than me, and I still see them as better than me, guys like Nicholas Brooks, Jacob Sanchez, Renzo Lucius. I thought, ‘Let’s see where I stack up.’ And I was just caught off guard by the whole situation. Even though I made some mistakes in both programs, it still ended up being first place. That was really unexpected.”

Blackwell’s Junior Grand Prix debut in the Czech Republic was one of the most talked about moments of his season. After placing fifth in the short program, he stormed back in the free skate, climbing to first in that segment and ultimately taking home the silver medal, earning one of the highest free skate scores of the junior season.

“It was always very difficult, mindset wise,” he admits. “I knew I had prepared really well for it in Boston and pushed myself. But when I got there, I don’t think it really sank in after the short program. I was just happy to be there. I remember standing on the practice ice with big names like Adam Hagara and Minkyu Seo, who had won Junior Worlds the year before, and thinking, ‘Wow, I’m in the last group. This is incredible.’”

Even with nerves creeping in, Blackwell managed to channel them into a performance he says he’ll never forget. “I got on the ice super excited to show what I could do, but also super nervous,” he says. “Looking back, I’m not 100% sure how I shifted my mindset from nervousness into fun… but I did it. And I’m glad I did because I’ll remember that skate forever.”

Fans have often compared Blackwell to fellow American Ilia Malinin, even calling him a “baby Ilia” for his solid, effortless jumping technique. The two even performed a backflip together at the Skating Club of Boston, a moment Patrick shared proudly on social media.

“Well, I can just say Ilia is outstanding,” Blackwell says. “The things he’s brought into figure skating, the quad Axel, all his achievements in and out of season, it’s incredible. The work he puts in, I always admire. And I always question how he has the stamina for everything, because that’s something I struggle with in training. But yeah, he’s a great person. I know him personally, and I think he’s just a great skater and a great guy.”

After his breakout performances last season, some fans even joked that U.S. Figure Skating must have been hiding him. Blackwell just laughs. “No one was hiding me,” he says. “It was just pure luck that everything paid off at the right moment. The last few seasons hadn’t been injury-free, breaking my collarbone, then having issues with sesamoiditis in my foot for eight months. I didn’t have good seasons for three years because of that. So really, last season it all just came together at the right time.”

Fans also praised his Two Feet short program for its unique and pure style. The credit, Patrick says, goes entirely to his mom. “She sits downstairs all night listening to music, because I like to have something very unique, not something everyone’s already done,” he explains. “Even though Jason Brown had used it way back in 2016, no one had really used it since. My mom found it, I liked it, my coaches liked it, and my goal was to have a slow program so I could work on step sequences, body positions, difficult turns, clusters. That’s how that music came about.”

Jason Brown himself, watching the Junior Grand Prix livestream, commented that Blackwell’s free skate was perfectly choreographed to suit his strengths, something Patrick agrees with. “That long program really did suit my strengths,” he says. “My coaches always say my strength is the energy I bring to all my jumps. The neoclassical theme of power and excellence, I trained all season to bring that to the table. And with the backflip at the end and everything in between, it really paid off.”

While fans were already impressed by his backflips and quads, many were surprised to see Blackwell debut a raspberry twist at Colonial Open and again at Junior Team Cup.

“The raspberry twist was actually a lot harder for me to learn than the backflip,” he explains. “The vertical twisting over the ice was really tricky. At first I rushed the process and kept getting hurt trying it on the ice. So I had to step back. I trained it properly, starting on a trampoline, then an air track, then on grass, and finally on the ice. Once I took my time, made sure I had enough height, it worked. Then we put it right into both programs.”

Both his short and long programs were choreographed by Adam Blake, whom Patrick credits: “Thank you to him, of course. The raspberry twist just fit into both programs perfectly and became part of my style.”

After his historic silver in Ostrava, Patrick’s next Junior Grand Prix assignment took him to Wuxi, China, an experience he calls unforgettable despite the challenges.

“I was definitely excited to go to China,” he says. “But it was a 12-hour time difference and a really long flight, so I was nervous about how my body would handle that. In Ostrava, I’d arrived about four days early before official practice, but in China I came in just one day early, like everyone else. It felt different.”

He also faced unexpected issues with food. “I’m allergic to all nuts, and a lot of the buffets there cooked meat in peanut oil,” he recalls. “So I didn’t get much protein, and combined with the time change, I was really tired by the time I skated the long program. But it was still a really great experience.”

Despite those hurdles, he cherished the chance to skate in Wuxi. “Being in the last group again brought me right back to Ostrava,” he says. “The rink was really hot, and my long program costume is pretty thick, but I had a lot of fun skating there. Just being in that environment was really special.”

Blackwell’s striking free skate costume last season caught the attention of many fans, with its unique details and bold flair. Asked about the process behind it, he smiles. “Last year I switched over and had both program costumes made by John Zell, who, fun fact, also makes them for Jacob Sanchez,” he says.

The design process, he explains, is a family effort. “My mom and my sister, who’s pretty artsy, usually come up with the initial design ideas. Then we talk with John about what he thinks, what’s easiest to make, and how to bring the vision to life. From there, we do the first try-ons, measure arms, legs, the works.”

Each year, Blackwell’s goal is to create something unique that stands out. “That’s how the shoulder pads with spikes came into play on my long program last year,” he recalls. “And of course, the tails, those were inspired by Mikhail Shaidorov’s Matrix program from the year before. We always try to add little touches like that.” The music for his free skate also brought an unexpected but meaningful connection with its composer, Gabriel Saban. “I never had a deal with him or anything,” Blackwell says. “But he reached out and commented on my posts, which really meant a lot to me. You rarely get that, the actual artist of your piece supporting you.”

Although he won’t be using Saban’s music this season due to time constraints and the whirlwind of Junior Worlds, he’s hopeful about a future collaboration. “I’d love to work with him again someday, even collaborate on a piece. That would be pretty cool,” he says.

For the 2025–26 season, Patrick Blackwell teamed up with renowned choreographer and former Italian champion Ivan Righini to create his new short program—an experience he describes as brief but impactful. “It was great. Sad I didn’t have more time,” Patrick shares. “His footwork is phenomenal, and for him to create my step, I definitely admire. I mean, he didn’t even think twice. He did it himself and was like, ‘Yup, that’s it.’ His skating and ideas are one of a kind.” Patrick also valued the collaborative process with Righini, noting how much he enjoyed their dynamic. “It was a unique collaboration,” he says. “I really enjoyed my work with him, both off ice and on ice.”

During his time working with Righini, Patrick also had the chance to meet 2025 World silver medalist Mikhail Shaidorov, one of Righini’s students. “I was able to meet Misha. He’s very nice,” Patrick recalls. “I saw some work that Ivan did with him, and it’s all, so to say, European. Meaning very different from typical work I’ve seen in the U.S.”

For his free skate, Patrick continues in a similar artistic direction to last season, embracing an emotionally powerful style that left a lasting impression on audiences. “It is very similar in style to last year,” he says. “It will end with a piece of We Are the Warriors from League of Legends. I kind of took that from Jimmy Ma, one of my skating companions.”

The program, choreographed by Adam Blake, also holds a personal tribute. “There’s a piece of music in there that Spencer was supposed to skate to for his long program next year,” Patrick shares. “With the approval of his coach and his dad, I put a part of that into my program too.”

After U.S. Nationals, Blackwell was selected alongside Jacob Sanchez to represent Team USA at the 2025 Junior World Championships in Hungary. For Patrick, the experience brought a new kind of pressure and a new lesson. “After the short program, I said, ‘I’ve never been in a situation where I had to qualify for the free skate,’” he recalls with a small laugh. “I was honestly unprepared for that. The night before the short program, one of my close friends, David Bondar, said, ‘Yeah, I hope I qualify for the long.’ And I looked at him and said, ‘What do you mean qualify?’ I knew, technically, but it hadn’t really set in. That definitely got me nervous, and I think it showed in my short program.”

Once the nerves settled, however, he refocused and delivered a strong free skate. “After having that initial nervousness out of the picture, I was able to focus in and deliver,” he says. “I was just happy to qualify and to be there. Everyone at Junior Worlds deserves to be there, and unfortunately, some don’t make it. I was prepared for that possibility but really grateful to have made it to the long.”

After his free skate, Blackwell held up a banner in memory of friends, coaches, and clubmates from the Skating Club of Boston who were lost in a tragic accident earlier in the season. “I don’t want to speak too much about my friends and what happened, but of course I had them in my mind,” he says quietly. “I was skating for them, as well as others from my rink, Jimmy, Misha, Elisa, the seniors. It was horrific. I was trying to have fun, but also I was nervous because of my past long programs at Sectionals and Nationals, where I’d made a lot of mistakes. I was really hoping my little adjustments in training would help me deliver a better long program this time.”

One of Blackwell’s most emotional performances last season came during an exhibition at his home rink in Warwick. He skated a free skate program that had originally been choreographed for Spencer Lane by Anne Goldberg Baldwin, who had already begun developing the piece with him before his passing. “Due to time constraints, I was only able to meet with Anne once,” Patrick explains.

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Olympic ice dancer Ben Agosto gave Blackwell a nickname that seems to have stuck: “The Daredevil from Norwood, Massachusetts.”

“It suits me perfectly,” Patrick says with a grin. “I don’t just skate, I have fun. I ride bikes, I go on the trampoline. I’m not scared to throw myself into quads on the ice, backflips, everything. So yeah, Daredevil sits pretty right with me. I like that nickname.”

That fearless energy has been part of him for as long as he can remember. He even taught himself the backflip that wowed audiences all season. “That’s correct, I learned it myself,” he says. “I’d been doing freestyle flipping on the trampoline since I was seven, quad fulls, double backflips, just because it was fun. By the time I tried it on ice, it really wasn’t that difficult. Once I had it, I had it. So I just added it to the program and ran with it this season.”

Off the ice, Blackwell’s list of hobbies is as adventurous as his skating. “Mountain biking is one of my favorites, peaceful, being out in the woods. Recently, I’ve been at the skate park a lot, on my scooter and BMX with my close friend Trevor,” he shares. In winter, he switches gears. “I started on skis when I was really young but transitioned into snowboarding. Now I love it, I even take trips for my birthday to big mountains in Utah or even Chamonix, France.”

When asked to choose his favorite competition of the season, Blackwell takes his time before answering. “It’s difficult to decide,” he admits. “While I want to say Ostrava because it was such a good competition for me and a lot of fun, I’m going to have to say China, just because of the learning experience. Between the time difference, my diet challenges, and the pressure I felt from having a bigger fan base after Ostrava, it was a lot. Being able to put that aside and skate for myself was really difficult and also a little mentally draining. But what I learned is that in those moments, you have to really focus on yourself. As much as I love my fans, in competition, I have to tune everything else out.”

If his 2024-25 season had a soundtrack, Blackwell picks “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. “It starts slow and ramps up, and that’s exactly how my season felt,” he explains.

Blackwell is also a keen observer of the sport, saying he belongs to the group of skaters who always watch other competitions. “I most definitely watch, mainly seniors, but also Junior Grand Prix. I’m curious about what others are doing, what’s new out there, and of course seeing new skaters.”

Asked to name his three favorite programs from other skaters last season, he doesn’t hesitate. “First, Arlet Levandi, both his programs are unique, his expression really stands out. Then Luc Economides, the way he brings hip hop into skating is phenomenal. And third, Rio Nakata’s short program. The way he skates flamenco is outstanding. Seeing him live in China was incredible.”

If given the choice between pairs and ice dance, Blackwell picks pairs without hesitation. “Just because of the jumping aspect, it keeps you on the edge of your seat,” he says, then laughs. “And I’ve heard that about me too, that I keep people on the edge of their seat. I really like that and decided to use it myself.”

When it comes to the elements he’s become known for, like the backflip and raspberry twist, Patrick is candid about their reception. “From an outside standpoint, fans and casual viewers, yes, those elements are more exciting,” he says. “But in the skating community, with judges and others who really know the sport, I think quads are still more respected. Everyone knows how much harder quads really are.” Blackwell’s first quad was a toe loop, quickly followed by a Salchow, though his progression wasn’t exactly linear. “I started trying quads back at National Development Camp in Nashville in 2020, when I was really young,” he recalls. “It was quad Sal back then, but I didn’t work on it consistently. Two years later I started trying Axel and worked Sal and Toe more seriously. It took a long time, mostly because I wasn’t consistent about it.”

Patrick once landed a quad loop, just once. “I did land a quad loop, but it was a fluke because I could never do it again,” he says with a small grin. “I had just come in one day with a fresh sharpening and thought, ‘I’m going to do this.’ I landed it under that day, really tried to pull in, and all of a sudden, I landed it. It was a little bit on the quarter, but in my eyes, it still counted. I haven’t tried it since. I’m also very sensitive to sharpening, so that probably helped.”

He is clear about how he feels about the jump itself. “I’ve never really liked the loop. It has caused issues for me in the past, and I’m not too happy that it is a mandatory solo jump in the short program this season.” His own favorite jump to perform? “Ironically, it’s Lutz, even though it gives me the most trouble,” he says. “I just find it really interesting, with the outside edge and everything. That’s still my favorite.”

Patrick has even attempted the elusive quad Axel, but he’s cautious. “I tried some out of the harness before Nationals and actually twisted my ankle pretty badly,” he says. “That really made me respect how dangerous the jump is and why no one but Ilia and now that Russian skater has landed it. I’ve backed away from it for now, until the time is right.”

Of course, no season of his would be complete without an injury story. At Nationals, fans noticed him shooting finger guns at the judges despite skating with a broken thumb, fans called it “just Patrick Blackwell things.” Patrick laughs at the memory. “Well, you don’t really see broken bones as good luck charms,” he says. “But in Ostrava I’d already skated with a broken middle finger from a scootering accident. And then a week before Nationals, during a run-through for a judge, I had a bizarre fall on a triple flip and completely twisted my thumb. So I went into Nationals with that. It worked for the short program, but not so much for the long,” he adds with a smile. “Guess it was only good luck for one program.”

Even as he looks ahead to bigger goals, Blackwell admits one moment from last season stands above the rest: receiving his first Team USA jacket before his Junior Grand Prix debut in Ostrava.

“It was obviously a dream come true,” he says. “I’d been watching so many skaters for years wearing that jacket and dreaming of having one. Finally getting it, it was such a relief. Like, ‘wow, all my work has finally shown a step of paying off. I’m actually on Team USA’.” But the moment also came with new pressure. “It was exciting, but also a little nerve-wracking,” he admits. “It hit me, now I’m representing my country, not just my figure skating club. That comes with responsibility.”

Looking ahead, there’s one place Blackwell dreams of competing someday: Italy. “I’d love to visit Italy,” he says. “It’s such a special place, the landscape, the culture, and of course their thin crust pizza,” he adds with a laugh. “There’s even a Junior Grand Prix there this year, and I’d be delighted to go.”

When it comes to role models, one program in particular stands out above all others for him, Adam Siao Him Fa’s iconic comeback in Montreal. “Adam’s Montreal program, 100%,” Patrick says with conviction. “That was the program I watched before I competed in Ostrava, and it definitely pushed me. I mean, that’s a program to remember forever. His comeback in Montreal is incredible.”

He also names Keegan Messing and Mikhail Shaidorov as other skaters he looks up to. If he could watch any skate live, he says, “Either Shaidorov or Ilia at this year’s Worlds, but also, Yuzuru Hanyu at any of his competitions. I would have loved to see that in person.” If he could perform any program himself, he has one in mind. “Robert Yampolsky’s long program from Junior Worlds a few years ago, I think it was 2019. That’s the one.”

When asked to sum up his own skating in three words, he chooses: energetic, unique, and powerful. That uniqueness extends beyond skating too, as he names BMX rider Kevin Peraza as a source of inspiration. “His technicality and guts to throw the tricks he does, it’s incredible.”

Looking ahead to next season, Blackwell hopes fans can continue to expect the unexpected. “I just hope to bring something unique, with my backflip, the energy I put out, and the little things I do with my costumes. I just want to be unique.” Above all, he credits one person for keeping him grounded and helping him through every step of his journey. “My mom,” he says simply. “She’s been there for everything.”

As for what next season holds? “A balance of both,” he says, working toward scores and placements while still making sure the fans stay on the edge of their seats.”