Jessica Wilhelmsson is figure skating coach from Sweden, working in Turkey. One of the Jessica’s skaters is Kutay Eryoldas, Turkish National Champion. Interview with him was published here in 2009. Now you have the possibility to get acquainted with his coach and read about some facts of her life and find the answer on question why she moved from Sweden to Turkey.

 V: Tell me few words about yourself, starting from how figure skating came into your life.

J: Well, I started to join the skating school in Helsingborg where I was born when I was 4 years old. I started there because I had friends whom went there. In the beginning I did not like it but after some time the progress was made, I was really enjoying to skate. And then I increased my hours on ice and started to compete. I really loved to be a figure skater because it is a beautiful sport and you can express yourself to nice music and be an artist on ice which I really love.
As a person I am happy, social, target oriented and positive. I am hard working and I am eager to learn new things as I find it important. I use my personality in my profession  for teaching and making the students interested in figure skating as much as I do.

V: In which competitions did you take part in Sweden? Until what age did you compete? Tell me please also few words about coaches, whom you worked with.

J: I was a bit unlucky as a figure skater myself , because in age of 13 I became seriously ill and I had problem with my health from the age of 13 to the age of 18 and then I decided to give up figure skating, my health is more important. I competed only as a junior and attended competitions as SKF-trofen in Sweden. My coaches I have worked with is mainly Lotta Falkenback when I was skating in IFK Helsingborg, I also worked with Manette Olsson, Charlene Varrin as my own coaches.
So I decided to coach instead as I still really loved figure skating but was not able to train on that level I wished.

V: Ok, what was the reason of moving to Turkey? When did you move?

J: The reason why I moved to Turkey was to see the possibilities of coaching here as my boyfriend moved here, so both work and love would be the answers. :) I moved here soon a year ago.

V: How many hours do you work per week? Do you have much spare time? If yes, what are your hobbies?

J: Well I have 25 sessions per week. I wouldn’t say I have lots of spare time. But I like to travel and visit new places. Me and my boyfriend visited lots of nice places in Turkey last year. It is a really big country which has so many different places and lots of history. I like to work out, visit the gym, I love to run outdoors when the spring is coming up, I like to have nice chats and drink coffee with good friends. I am interested in fashion too. I am also interested in different cultures and of course different education as l love to learn new things.

V: As I understood you work now with skaters of different ages? What is more difficult for you to work with really little children or already with adults?


J: I have students from age of 3 to age of 22 years old. I always believe it is important to make the practice individual in order to get more productive progression, and of course create groups of students in same level to be able to create better practices. To teach really young kids it is fun, they give so much energy and with good education they can improve quite fast. The young ones always have so funny questions, explanations and I really enjoy to work with young kids. The older ones whom already have a sort of education in figure skating can understand much more and you can teach them more difficult things of course and more challenging which makes the process interesting.

V: Kutay Eryoldas, Turkish National Champion is one of your students. Please tell me how you started to work together? And what are your impressions from working with him?

J: Yes he is, when I got my present work as a head coach in Vizyon ice sport club, he was one of the members in this club. I remember I had just seen him on ice when I sat in the cafeteria in the rink. I found him as very talented and  great skater. We have good communication and I really enjoy to work with Kutay, He has a good will and so eager to work hard. He has great experience from international competitions and it is his advantage.

V: Universiade 2011 is just over. How did you react on the case, which happened with Kutay in free program? When Kutay was forced to stop his program due to strong pain. It must be hard to take the decision to continue skating or not when you have just 2 minutes for that and in this case the coach is also responsible for the situation...

J:  It was an unforgettable moment, It was a moment mixed of different feelings, I was worried about him because at first I didn’t understand how much pain he had, after he talked to the judges and came out and the medical care staff came running, I just felt my duty is to keep Kutay calm and not being in panic. While he got treatment I kept an eye on the time as we just had 2 min of time as you said. I remember I said out loudly 30 sec and while I turned my back Kutay was out on the ice again, I looked at him and gave signs to stay calm. And then he continued and he did his best, taking into consideration the situation.

V: And what about your favorite skater ever? Probably you had (have) idols?
J:  Yes I will always like Oksana Bauil from Ukraine.

V: What can you say about interest in figure skating in Turkey? Is it increasing every year?

J:  There is a big interest of figure skating in Turkey. Here are so many young students whom are eager to learn and skate. So the numbers of figure skaters are increasing! Turkey has great skaters whom are coming strongly. The sport is still under development here. But Turkey is a country with all seasons; there are places for both summer and winter sports.

V: I guess the last question for the interview: What would you advice children who just started to skate?

J: The most important thing is to have fun and feel good while you skate. Chose a good club and enjoy to skate. Have patient and step by step you will improve