Fifteen-year-old Brooklyn Watmough has been skating pretty much since she could walk, and on Thursday she had the chance to receive a lesson from a Canadian skating icon.
Olympic gold medallist Kaetlyn Osmond held a skating seminar at the ATB Centre, giving about 60 young skaters pointers and tips on sharpening their skills.
“It’s really inspiring to see everything that they can do from just the basics and how they really are good,” Watmough said.
Osmond, the 2018 World Champion, said she is taking some time off following the Olympics and World Championships to give back to the skating community.
She said she feels excitement when teaching lessons and watching her students succeed.
“Someone had done the simplest thing, and they did it for the first time and they were so excited,” Osmond said.
This isn’t the first time Lethbridge has brought in a well-known Canadian skater for a seminar. Last year, Watmough was part of a session with two-time Olympic silver medallist Elvis Stojko.
The Lethbridge teen’s coaches know how vital these experiences can be.
WATCH: Olympic figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond shares Pyeongchang Games experience
“The biggest thing is the motivation, especially at this time of year, when skaters are starting to get tired. It’s so exciting to have someone that they admire and someone that they’ve seen on TV come and show them new exercises and different techniques and things that they can work on to be a better skater,” said Lethbridge Skating Club coach Nina Evans.
Motivation is something Watmough has after the seminar, and she knows the hard work she will have to put in if she wants to compete at the highest level.
Comments