It takes just one person to impact thousands.
Alexander Kirsanov better known as 'Sasha' was one of the 67 victims in the deadly plane crash near Washington D.C.
Kirsanov was a coach that traveled around the country to grow the sport of figure skating, and he left a lasting legacy right here in Wisconsin.
Kirsanov was a professional figure skater that competed professionally in Russia, then moving to the U.S. to skate, and finishing with his true passion, coaching.
"He was full of life and energy," said Jacqui Monge a director with the Eagle River Figure Skating Club.
"He made the rink so comfortable and every time you walked into the rink, he'd yell out your name or throw snow at you," said Montana Grabowski a figure skating coach that worked with Kirsanov.
"He made such a big impact on how I looked at dances, and I truly believe that he was one of the coaches that actually made me continue ice dancing," said Sophie Hoffman, a member of U.S. Figure Skating Club.
Sasha's passion was cut short after the deadly plane crash and everyone who knew him couldn't believe it.
"Once I heard that it was Sasha, I just crashed and cried, and that was really hard and heartbreaking," said Grabowski.
For a coach that traveled to Eagle River for only a few camps per year, Sasha made a deeper impact than coach.
"He was trained Russian, and so he demanded from those kids perfection and they gave it to him," said Monge. "He pushed them harder than they ever thought they could be pushed and the result was some great skating for our kids."
Figure skating is a tight knit community, holding a moment of silence for their lost coach and peers.
"Everybody will remember Sasha. I don't think they're going to forget him any too soon," said Monge. "We just want him to be remembered as somebody who had a heart of gold, and he was just kind to everybody."
The impact he had on his skaters now takes on a whole new meaning.
"Now that the crash kind of happened, I always thought I should skate for them and not skate just for myself and it made me think of like, stop complaining about practice because they don't get to practice anymore and that kind of hit deep."
Even though Sasha lived in Delaware, his impact was felt around the world whether it be in the U.S. or his home country Russia.
Eagle River Skating Club is planning to collect any memories or quotes from Sasha that people have and compile it into a book to give to his wife and daughter.
They're asking anyone that has a story to share to reach out to the Eagle River Skating Club.
