Valda Osborn
| Valda Osborn | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Valda Rosemary Osborn | ||||||||||||||||||
| Alternative names | Valda Foggin (married name) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented | United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
17 September 1934 Wembley, Middlesex, England |
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| Residence | Rustington, England | ||||||||||||||||||
| Former coach | Arnold Gerschwiler | ||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1953 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Valda Rosemary Osborn (born 17 September 1934) is a British former figure skater. She is the 1953 European champion and World bronze medalist. She represented her country at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, where she placed 11th.
Valda Osborn was born in Wembley, England in 1934. During World War II, she moved to Richmond (Surrey), England and lived close to Richmond Bridge, a short walk to Richmond Ice Rink. She had private tutors for her schooling. After turning professional in 1953, Osborn resided in Brighton, Whitley Bay, Manchester and Feltham. Following the end of her performing career, she travelled around Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. She spent thirteen years in Northern Cyprus and then settled in Rustington on the English south coast under her married name Valda Foggin. She has a brother Richard M Osborn who is an author and has so far written four books - On Her Majesty's Cyprus Mission, On Her Majesty's Berlin Mission, Unbridled Power and Twilight for the West? In addition, she has two grandchildren, James (1989) and Charlotte Thistle (1993).
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. At age 5, Osborn won her first competition for "Under Sixes". During 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. At 9½ years she passed the NSA gold medal at Richmond Ice Rink on 6 June 1944 (D-Day). She was the youngest skater to pass her Gold and continues to hold the record.
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