Days after 12th birthday, ice skater marking ‘best year of her life‘ dies in plane crash
Brielle Magdalena Beyer, a 12-year-old figure skater from Virginia, and her mother Justyna Magdalena Beyer, 42, were among those killed in Wednesday night's plane crash while flying back from Wichita to Washington DC.
Brielle and Justyna lived in Aldie, an unincorporated area in Loudon County, Virginia, according to Loudon County newspaper The Burn.
Brielle was a member of the Skating Club of Northern Virginia, along with several of the other young victims and their families. She had celebrated her 12th birthday about two weeks before the crash.
The Skating Lesson, a social media account focused on figure skating, described Brielle as 'a spunky skater who was said to live on the ice.'
An accomplished figure skater who dreamed of making it to the National Development Team and the camp held for team members, Brielle had medaled in every national qualifying event she attended in 2024. Shortly before leaving for Wichita, the young skater shared on Instagram that she had recently achieved her goal of successfully landing several triple jumps.
'2024 was by far the best year of my life,' Brielle wrote on Instagram in December. 'I had so much fun with friends and family and achieved many new skills that I thought I would never be able to do! I reached my goal of becoming a NDT member and I am so grateful for that.'
Brielle was coached by former Swedish national medalists Kalle Strid and Mikael Olaffson. The pair also coached Cory Haynos and Edward Zhou, who died in the crash .
The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, and the helicopter had three soldiers on board. Authorities said Thursday that the crash left no survivors.
'I lost my 3 little kids in that flight and their families,' Strid wrote on social media Thursday. 'I am not strong enough to talk to anyone today.'
Together, Strid and Olaffson's students were known as the Nova Vikings, and the team skated at the MedStar Capitals IcePlex in Arlington, Virginia. There, Brielle developed close friendships on and off the ice with many other young figure skaters.
IcePlex students shared a tribute video on Instagram Thursday, celebrating the skaters' relationship on and off the ice.
In a joint statement with the Washington Figure Skating Club, the Skating Club of Northern Virginia said members of the club and community were 'devastated' by the plane crash.
'As we continue to process this tragedy, we honor the memories of those who we have lost—their passion for the sport, the friendships they cultivated, and the joy they brought to the ice,' WFSC and SCNV wrote. 'Their presence at our rinks and in our community is deeply felt, and their absence is indescribable.'
Brielle and Justyna are survived by Brielle's father Andy Beyer and her brother Kallen Beyer, 6.
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