Burlington dancer wins silver medal at World Para Dance Championships

 

BURLINGTON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- We first brought you the story of a para dancer from Burlington last summer. 

She is now a silver medalist after taking second on a worldwide stage. 

Eve Dahl won a silver medal in the junior category, with her proud parents looking on. 

Genoa, Italy, Thanksgiving week, the 15-yaer-old represented the USA at the World Para Dance Championships, showcasing her incredible moves in the waltz, tango, rumba, samba and the jive, competing against dancers from some 25 countries. 

"She did an amazing job, went above and beyond anything we could have ever honestly expected," said Ernie Olivas, professional ballroom instructor. 

Olivas has been Dahl's dance instructor for over three years at the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Brookfield. 

"When I first started out with her, she was a little timid because of her diagnosis of OI," Olivas said. 

Dahl was born with osteogenesis Imperfecta, or OI, also known as brittle bone disease. 

"It's always a little scary for her to get comfortable with someone new, especially dancing and touching, since she is so fragile," said Olivas.

But dancing's been in Dahl's heart since a young age, and she's learned to adapt for love.

"It allows me to lose myself and find myself at the same time," she said. 

"Whatever I throw at her might be difficult, but she's always willing to work towards it," said Olivas.

But a big and unexpected challenge popped up just before the trip to Italy. 

"Four weeks before my competition, I broke my hand and then I kind of competed with a broken hand, so that was challenging," Dahl said. 

Despite concern from her mom about the broken bone, Dahl insisted on pressing forward, and now has the medal to prove it. 

'It was just cool to bring it home and like bring it in my room and like put it up by my wall, you know. I was really proud of it," she said.

If after watching this, you find yourself even remotely interested in dance, instructors say go for it. 

"I would say do it," said Olivas. "The hardest part is always just walking in the front door."