Under the watchful eye of two-time U.S. Olympian Mirai Nagasu, 11-year-old Ava Svirskiy performed a pretty solid double salchow at the end of her practice session Wednesday afternoon at NorthStar Ice Sports. Nagasu, who, at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, made history as the first American woman to land a triple axel in the Olympi cs, joined the North Star Figure Skating Club coaching staff in October, and has been working with aspiring stars like Svirskiy since.

“It’s cool,” said Svirskiy, an Ashland resident, “because I didn’t think I would work with an Olympian. She’s helped me a lot. I feel like I’ve progressed since I’ve been with her.”

The 27-year-old Nagasu, who wore a glittery gold mask to match her sparkling personality, coaches three days a week at NorthStar and has a great rapport with the young skaters.

“She’s a lot of fun,” North Star executive director Denise Marco said. “She brings a breath of fresh air to the rink that we need, especially during this time. It’s great to have someone of her caliber here. It’s very exciting for the skaters.”

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon