SPRINGDALE (KFSM) -- A memorial service was held Sunday (Oct. 2) for Holly Grisso who was a figure skater and the subject of a documentary, she passed away in a car accident in Alma on September 19th.
Grisso had been a figure skater at the Jones Center since she was a little girl.
She was born with a heart defect and underwent three surgeries with the last when she was fifteen.
Just six months later she was back on the ice doing what she loved.
Grisso's coach, Robin Aprea, said it was extraordinary to see what she had overcome.
“She fought her way to get back on the ice and back to competition because that’s what she loves, that’s what she loved to do. She loved to skate, she loved to have the fun costumes and so she always pushed herself back,” said Aprea.
Mai Le has also figure skated at the Jones Center when she was younger and when she started the documentary production program at the University of Arkansas, she contacted Aprea because she knew she wanted to make a documentary about a figure skater.
Aprea knew Holly would be a wonderful subject for the documentary.
Mai and Christi began shooting the documentary titled ‘With All My Heart’ in the fall of 2015.
“This last year has been a blessing because I really got to know Holly in ways that I don’t even know my closest friends…It was a tragic experience for me but I know that Holly wouldn’t want us to be sad for her, she never let her challenges limit her and I know this is a challenge for us and she wouldn’t want that to limit us either,” said Le.
Holly had just started her freshmen year at Pittsburgh State University in Kansas and was coming back to Arkansas on weekend to skate and junior coach which she also loved doing.
Holly passed away exactly one week before the film was set to screen for the first time on the University campus.
Producer and writer Christi Welter said it’s devastating that Holly never got to see the film.
“I feel extremely privileged that we got to be a part of her story and that we got to tell her story and that her parents and loved ones will always have that…but of course it is devastating, it is shocking and all you can feel is heartbroken,” said Welter.
A figure skating scholarship has been setup in Holly's name at the Jones Center.