Background
Valda Osborn was born in Wembley, England in 1934.
Valda Osborn was born in Wembley, England in 1934.
She represented her country at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, where she placed 11th. Osborn started skating at 2½ years at Wembley Ice Rink. She was taught by Arnold Gerschwiler, who was her only coach during her entire amateur career.
During World World War II, the Wembley rink was closed to save electricity.
She moved to the Richmond Ice Rink, the only rink left open during the war. She was the youngest skater to pass her Gold and continues to hold the record.
Osborn continued skating at Richmond during and after the war. After her victory in Germany, she was awarded the Harry East. Radix skating pin.
During her amateur career, Osborn was featured in British magazines such as Everybody"s Weekly (20 December 1947) and Illustrated (26 January 1952).
She was also interviewed on the British Broadcasting Corporation radio show In Town Tonight. Osborn appears in two clips at the BritishPathe.com website:
European Ice Skating Championships (1953). Skating Champions (1948).
Osborn is shown skating with Aja Zanova and Joan Lister.
In Home Box Office"s "Reflections on Ice" video, Osborn is shown on the podium with Tenley Albright and Gundi Busch at the 1953 World Championship in Davos. Osborn turned professional in 1953.
She starred in Tom Arnold"s Ice Circus in Brighton and Tom Arnold"s Robinson Crusoe on Ice in the winter of 1953 at the Grand Theatre, Leeds. Osborn then turned to coaching ice skaters in Manchester, Whitley Bay, Brighton and finally in Richmond.
When Richmond Ice Rink closed down and the property was redeveloped, she retired.
She is the 1953 European champion and World bronze medalist. At age 5, Osborn won her first competition for "Under Sixes". At 9½ years she passed the National Security Agency gold medal at Richmond Ice Rink on 6 June 1944 (Doctorate-Day). She became the British national champion in 1952 and was selected for the 1952 Winter Olympics, where she finished 11th. In 1953, Osborn won her second national title and went on to win gold at the European Championships in Dortmund. Osborn remains the last British skater to win the European title in ladies" singles. Later in 1953, she won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Davos, Switzerland.
