North Texas Olympian Ashley Cain is settling into her new role in front of figure skating audiences around the world.
She portrays Elsa from the movie "Frozen" in the Disney on Ice show "Mickey and Friends."
"It's a pretty cool job," Cain told NBC 5 when she was back at the ice rink in Euless where she trains.
Cain says she can relate to the popular character.
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"I mean, it's Queen Elsa. It's really powerful.”
She says the audience also connects, especially when the song known by "Frozen" fans everywhere fills the arena.
“When they hear 'Let it Go' they're singing at the top of their lungs," she said.
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Cain says it was a challenge stepping into the high-profile role, learning the choreography, and how to skate in bulky costumes and wigs.
"It was hard. There were some tears. But I have really great castmates that kept me in good spirits and were just like 'We know how you feel,'" she said. "Eventually, this is going to be so second nature, and you're not even gonna think about it.'"
As a member of Disney on Ice's overseas cast, Cain spends much of her time away from DFW.
"I knew that when I retired that I still had so much love and joy for the sport, and I still wanted to be a part of it in some capacity, and this is the perfect opportunity for that," she said.
Cain has already skated for audiences throughout the Middle East. She will soon travel to Asia and then South America.
There is another reason skating for Disney on Ice is special. Cain’s parents, Darlene and Peter, were both elite figure skaters themselves. And they too were members of the cast.
"They actually met on tour," Ashley said with a smile.
After a lifetime of pursuing her Olympic dream, Cain says retiring from competition is a big adjustment. For the first time in years, she is not spending hours on the ice every day with her longtime pairs partner, Timothy LeDuc. Together, Cain and LeDuc competed for Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
"I miss them so much," Cain said. LeDuc also retired and is a figure skating coach in the Chicago area.
Cain is now focused on the next chapter of her story. With the help of “Mickey and Friends,” she says she hopes to inspire a new generation of figure skaters.
"I know that when I was younger, going to these shows and seeing these skaters, it made me want to be out there. And I hope that I can do that for somebody," she said.
