A Mother’s Day Thank You to the Moms Behind Speedcubing
Behind many competitors is a mom who made the journey possible, and in speedcubing, many of those mothers become part of the community themselves.
Speedcubing is usually remembered through the moments that make the results page.
The world records. The podiums. The PRs. The final solves where the room gets quiet and everyone knows something special might happen.
This Mother’s Day, it is worth taking a moment to recognize some of the people behind those moments.
For many young cubers, that person is Mom.
At competitions, moms are rarely just spectators. They are often the ones making the weekend happen, then stepping into the room to judge solves, staff scoretables, run groups, organize events, learn the regulations, and help keep the competition moving.
Some are there for their own kids. Some end up becoming the adult in the room for everyone else’s kids, too. If you have been around enough competitions, you have seen it: a parent helping a nervous first-timer, answering a schedule question, finding a judge, or making a kid feel like they belong.
That kind of support rarely gets noticed in the moment, but it matters. Behind many accomplished solvers is someone who gave them the space, stability, and encouragement to care deeply about something most people outside the community barely understand.
Donna Hays is one example.
As the mother of Kevin Hays, one of the most accomplished big-cube solvers in speedcubing history, Donna has been around some of the biggest moments the sport has seen. Kevin podiumed in 7x7 at the 2011 World Championship, then became world champion in 5x5, 6x6, and 7x7 in 2013. He continued adding world championship podiums in the years that followed.
For Donna, those years were not just Kevin’s championship seasons. They were international travel days, practice stretches, school weeks, long days at the venue, and steady support through the years it takes to chase something at the highest level.
She has competed at multiple World Championships herself, including 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and the most recent World Championship in Seattle, her hometown. That kind of presence says a lot. It is one thing to support your kid’s passion from a distance. It is another to become part of the community yourself, competition after competition, year after year.
Lisa Kucala is another example.
Lisa is the mother of Carter Kucala, an accomplished American cuber and former world record holder in Skewb. Carter is also deeply involved in the WCA community as a Delegate, WIC Senior Member, and WRC Senior Member. Lisa has supported Carter’s speedcubing career while also building her own long record of involvement in the sport.
Lisa has competed in 145 WCA competitions across a wide range of events, from 2x2 through 7x7, plus events like One-Handed, Clock, Megaminx, Pyraminx, Skewb, Square-1, and more. She has also contributed directly to the WCA community as a Delegate, organizer, and WCA Executive Assistants Team member.
That involvement has included major events close to home. Rubik’s WCA North American Championship 2024 was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, bringing 847 competitors to the Minneapolis Convention Center. The same weekend also featured the Rubik’s North America All-Stars 2024 event at Mall of America, streamed by SpeedcubingTv.
Lisa’s story is a reminder that some parents do not just bring their kids into the community. They stay, serve, compete, and become part of the structure that keeps it going. Her involvement supports Carter, but it also supports the competitors, organizers, and families who show up around him.
Donna and Lisa are different examples of the same larger truth: moms are not just along for the ride. In many cases, they are helping build the road.
So today, we want to say thank you.
Thank you to the moms who drive, judge, organize, volunteer, compete, fund, comfort, cheer, and keep showing up. Thank you to the moms who support their own kids, and the moms who make room for other people’s kids, too.
Speedcubing would not be what it is without you.
If a speedcubing mom helped make your journey possible, today is a good day to tell her.
Happy Mother’s Day to the moms of the speedcubing community.