Kudos to the coach
Osmond credits Ravi Walia for making her a world champ
EDMONTON — As a skater, Ravi Walia never experienced many successes under world champion coaches Jan and Cynthia Ullmark at Edmonton’s Royal Glenora Club.
At 5-foot-11, he was tall and gangly for a figure skater and didn’t much look the part. But as unlikely-looking a skater as he was, he’s produced one quite the opposite as a coach.
No one appreciates what Walia has become as a coach more than Mike Slipchuk, a top-10 international skater in the shadow of Kurt Browning out of Edmonton who went on to become High Performance Director of Skate Canada.
“As a skater, Ravi was a jumper and that was his strength. With Kaetlyn Osmond he has taken a skater and developed the whole package and that has been her strength,” said Slipchuk.
“As a coach Ravi seeks advice and has had Kaetlyn training with himself and many other top coaches over the years. He has always looked out for her interest, never pushed for international assignments unless he was ready and the results this year have been a testament to that strategy over the years.”
Walia began coaching Osmond when she was 10 years old. Now he’s coach of the first Canadian to win the World Women’s Championship in 45 years.
Osmond says she’s as happy for him as she is for herself. “When my family made the decision to move to Edmonton, they asked around for coaches and got recommendations from my former coach Josee Picard.
“Ravi has been an amazing coach for me for the last 12 years. He has brought me to numerous national championships, international competitions, worlds and Olympics. From teaching me from such a young age, he understands what I need to be successful, and I trust that completely.
“The thought of moving to a different coach has never crossed my mind. I love where I train in Edmonton and Ravi is part of that.
“Ravi understands everything involved in skating, the technique of jumps and so much of the sport that even I don’t understand. And he’s always trying to improve as coach at the same time he’s pushing me and other younger athletes to be strong competitors.
“I’m happy that he can now say he coached a world champion. He deserves it.”