Skaters’ success a family affair.
Canadian women’s champion Kaetlyn reaches top of her sport thanks to extra efforts of parents
During the last eight years, Jeff and Jackie Osmond have lived in three different provinces and have watched nearly 100 figure skating competitions.
On Thursday, when their 17-year-old daughter, Kaetlyn, takes to the ice in London, Ont., they can add one more. Except this one’s the biggest yet: Kaetlyn — the Canadian women’s champion — will compete in the 2013 world figure skating championships.
The story behind Kaetlyn’s success is a family affair.
In the late 1990s, the Osmond’s eldest daughter, Natasha, quickly climbed the figure skating ranks. The hometown rink in Marystown, N.L., didn’t offer summer ice, so the Osmonds travelled to Montreal, where they shared a house for four years with a coach so Natasha could train.
“It really wasn’t all about Kaetlyn at the time,” Jackie said. “Kaetlyn started to travel with us ... because Natasha wanted to go.
“It was Natasha’s era for skating, and I couldn’t leave Kaetlyn behind.”
Shortly after Christmas 2004, Natasha decided to move to Montreal to train full time. The family followed in 2005.
Kaetlyn trained during those Montreal summers, as well. Coaches pointed out her talent for figure skating and ballet to her parents. Equally strong in both, according to her mom, Kaetlyn needed to decide which to pursue. She chose figure skating. It was in Montreal where the Osmonds saw Kaetlyn’s potential.
“That’s when we realized we had to put our efforts into both of them now,” Jackie said.
At the time, Jeff was an offshore oil worker in the Persian Gulf and, after 11 years of working overseas, wanted a career closer to home.
“It was tough, being away for a month, up to two months at a time,” Jeff recalls.
Kaetlyn and Natasha stayed with an aunt in Montreal while Jeff and Jackie scoped Edmonton out for work, a house and figure skating clubs. They decided on the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club under the guidance of coach Ravi Walia.
“They have done whatever it took for their daughters to achieve their dreams,” Walia said of the Osmonds’ efforts.
Walia said the Osmonds took his advice for anything the two budding skaters needed — such as off-ice training, a dietitian and a Pilates conditioning program. It paid off, as Natasha, who retired from figure skating two years ago, made it to the junior national level.
“It’s a full family sacrifice,” said Jackie. “You have to put a lot of family trips on the back burners, Our family trips are basically going to figure skating competitions,” Jeff said, laughing. “We got to see a lot of the country because of it.”
Some sports can come with a high price tag — figure skating is one of them.
“On an average year, right now at senior level … competitions and everything, you’re looking at roughly $60,000,” Jeff said, adding they have an advantage because Kaetlyn is living at home.
The Osmonds said they’ve always been honest with coaches with how much they can afford each month, even when they were back in Marystown.
They will sit down with Walia next month to go over the plan for Kaetlyn’s Olympic year, with the 2014 Sochi Games about 11 months away.
“He’s puts a lot of thought into what competitions we’re going to do,” Jeff said of Walia. “Try and minimize costs, but also maximize exposure.”
Jackie said Walia gives them “a good idea each year how much money we are going to need.”
“They were always willing to commit to the plan,” said Walia. “They are a big part of the reason of Kaetlyn’s success.”
Jeff now works as a surveyor in Fort McMurray, while Jackie holds a position as a senior document controller in the oil and gas industry, and works closer to home in Sherwood Park.
“I always worked for skating,” Jackie said.
“He works to support the family; I work to support the skating.”
Because of the cost and vacation days needed, the Osmonds have never travelled with Kaetlyn internationally. The worlds are on Canadian soil this year, running Wednesday through Sunday.
“Big competitions like worlds, or potentially the Olympics, we would never miss,” said Jackie.