Slovakian-born Alexandra figure skating coach Natalia Belusakova says coming to Central Otago to teach feels like she should be on holiday, “as I’m working in such a beautiful area”.

Almost a month into her new job, Natalia said the calm, peaceful pace of Alexandra was lovely, and she felt safe here.

“The most beautiful sunrise with skates on, lovely people, magical sky at night, and all of it with the bonus – no traffic on the road and the good food. I was really looking forward to it. Apparently, it’s not fun being around me when I’m hungry,” she said.

Natalia has spent her adult life travelling world-wide with her skating career, both as a performer and an artistic director with the famous ‘Holiday on Ice’ shows, and more recently as a choreographer and coach.

She was running on a treadmill in Saudi Arabia where she lived with her partner, and had changed the ‘landscape’ feature on the machine to New Zealand, when her Queenstown skating coach friend, Elena Iarkhunova, rang her to say there was a coach needed in a nearby town.

Elena wasn’t expecting Natalia to accept the offer, knowing she had such a busy schedule. 

“You have to be so careful what you’re thinking and putting out there to that universe sometimes,” Natalia said.

The Slovák started skating when she was just five, but she has loved the coaching aspect of it as well since she was a teenager.  

She competed internationally for Slovakia between the ages of nine and 18, and at 21 auditioned and was accepted into the largest touring ice show in the world.

In 2011 Natalia became an artistic director of both Holiday on Ice and Stage Entertainment, as well as being one of the coaches of a Slovakian figure skating champion.

“Coaching is not just about teaching skaters how to skate, but also about working with skaters on their mental strength.”

Used to flying in and flying out of countries at the drop of a hat, Natalia travelled 42 hours before landing in Queenstown Airport to start her new role with the Alexandra Skating Club.

She had been to New Zealand before (but not the South Island) in 2016 when she toured with Stage Entertainment and its ‘Ice Age Live’ show.

Now helping coach as many as 20 young competitive Alexandra skaters from six to 17 years of age, Natalia also helps school kids and adults find their passion for skating. 

“I am loving coaching in such beautiful surroundings.”

She and her friend Elena recently found a natural dam to skate on near Coronet Peak (pictured), and said the last time she was able to do that was back in 1987, on a frozen river in her hometown.

PHOTOS: The Central App