Returning to competitive skating years after he hang his skates up.
In a social media post this week, Winter Olympian Michael Martinez shared some personal news for his followers.
The figure skater, who had just turned 30, said that in celebration of his birthday, he has decided to go back to the ice and compete anew.
“Honestly, I never thought I’d be making this announcement again. It’s been years since I last competed, and since then, life has changed a lot,” he noted.
Michael shared that since he announced his retirement, he had been able to do other things such as coaching to help younger skaters with their own competitive journey.
“But one thing I kept getting asked over the years was, When are you competing again? or Are you ever coming back? And my answer was always… probably not,” he recalled.
“But somehow people kept asking, and I guess a part of me also started wondering… why not?”
Hence, that, as well as “a lot of convincing,” led him to considering a return to competitive skating.
“I’ll be competing at the 2026 Philippine National Figure Skating Championships this November, and hopefully return to international competition in 2027,” he announced.
Michael, who had competed for the Philippines at the 2014 Womter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, told that he knows that he is already “past what most people would consider a figure skater’s prime.”
“I’m older now, my body definitely knows I’m older (a lot back pain), and I’m not expecting things to be exactly how they were before. And that’s okay,” he said.
Thus, he said that his return to the rink only means that he wants to enjoy competing again.
“No big expectations, no unnecessary pressure. I’m also keeping things simple. Not trying to recreate my Olympic days. Just training, skating, competing, and hopefully having fun doing it again,” he said, adding that he still has a “few personal goals” that he wants to accomplish.
“I honestly don’t know how far this comeback will go, and maybe that’s what makes it exciting. One competition at a time. Let’s just see what happens. See you at Nationals,” he concluded his post.
The 2026 Philippine National Figure Skating Championships will happen from November 19 to 21.
