Figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond competing again, after 16-month recovery
'Nervous for probably the first time in my entire career,' says Olympic silver medalist
An Olympic figure skater from Marystown is back in fighting form this week and competing in Detroit, following a 16-month recovery for a broken leg.
Kaetlyn Osmond, who now trains out of Edmonton, was unable to compete last year after suffering a fractured leg that required surgery to insert a metal rod.
- Kaetlyn Osmond out for rest of figure skating season
- Kaetlyn Osmond talks recovery after figure-skating injury
Osmond, who won an Olympic silver medal in the team skate competition at the Sochi 2014 Olympics, was unable to compete in the 2015 season, but has officially stepped back on competition ice for 2016.
From what I've heard from other people, I look better than I've ever skated before.- Kaetlyn Osmond
"At the same time that it felt like it's definitely been over a year, it also just felt like it was just the blink of an eye," said Osmond.
"So excited to be back on the ice and, even though I was nervous for probably the first time in my entire career, it just felt great to be back out there."
While she may have been unable to compete for over a year, Osmond said the injury that knocked her off her feet may have been a blessing in disguise.
"In my opinion, I think it was the best thing that could have happened to me. It was definitely a mind break that I needed and a chance for me to re-evaluate my entire skating and just build strength in areas that I was weakened in," she said.
"From what I've heard from other people, I look better than I've ever skated before."
Looking forward to next Olympics
According to Osmond, the time off gave her a chance to fully recover for what she said is probably the first time in years.
While that's a good thing, she said there was a lot of anxiety before she got back into competition.
"I had to get over a fear of just being back out on the ice so I had to build a lot of confidence," said Osmond.
"That's the biggest thing that I've learned in the past year — I need to build the confidence and not be worried of other injuries or fluke accidents."
Meanwhile, she said her sights are still on the next Olympic Games set for Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018.
Osmond will skate her long program again at the Skate Detroit Competition on Saturday before heading back to Edmonton to compete in next week's Wild Rose Invitation Competition.