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Two sisters who were competitive figure skaters were among the victims of the recent plane collision in Washington, D.C. The pair had participated in the latest championships in Wichita and were on their way home when the tragedy struck.<\/p>\n
Reports indicate that several sources have confirmed the victims’ identities, including Peter Livingston, his wife, Donna Smojice Livingston\u2014a native of Central Pennsylvania\u2014and their figure skating daughters. They were among those who lost their lives in the American Airlines plane crash.<\/p>\n
The couple’s two daughters, Alydia, 11, and Everly, 14, along with the crew and other\u00a0passengers of Flight 5342<\/a>, did not survive. The siblings’ last social media post featured them posing together at their recent event on January 24.<\/p>\n The post, which included numerous hashtags,\u00a0read<\/a>, “If you look closely at Alydia’s badge\u2026 We were born ready for this but is @usfigureskating ready for this much Livingston at Nationals?”<\/p>\n The Livingstons’ family friend, Cassandra Atkins, who lives in Australia, helped design some of the girls’ skating outfits through her company, Frozen Couture. She had never met the family in person but kept in touch with Donna weekly or daily.<\/p>\n Cassandra often received photos and videos of the siblings from their mother. Reflecting on their relationship, she\u00a0said<\/a>, “Donna was just like the most perfect mom. She really was. Like I said before those girls were everything to her, the center of her whole universe.”<\/p>\n The last time Cassandra spoke to Donna was a week ago when they discussed designing new outfits for the girls. Donna mentioned that her daughters liked standing out on the ice, preferring bright colors over the darker ones typically worn by other skaters their age.<\/p>\n The Livingstons’ deaths were also mourned by The Skating Lesson Facebook page. Sharing images of the sisters, the page highlighted Alydia as a rising ice dancer who had earned a spot in the camp after teaming up with a new partner.<\/p>\n She was also the youngest skater on the plane. Remembering her fondly, the page\u00a0stated<\/a>, “Lydia, 11, was known for her vivacious personality and strong desire to improve on the ice – no matter the critique.”<\/p>\n