MARYSTOWN, NL – From now on, whenever Kaetlyn Osmond returns to Marystown, she will travel a stretch of highway on the Burin Peninsula that bears her name.
“It was incredible,” Osmond said when asked about driving over Osmond Way, a section of the Burin Peninsula Highway from Red Harbour to Marystown, on Friday, April 13.
The provincial government announced the change during a celebration for Osmond and Paralympian sledge hockey player Liam Hickey at Confederation Building earlier that day.
Osmond attended a charity hockey match in Marystown Friday evening. The festivities to celebrate the returning hometown hero kicked into full gear on Saturday, April 14, however, with a parade through town in the morning.
The procession made its way to St. Gabriel’s Hall where hundreds of people gathered for a meet and greet with the newly crowned world figure skating champion and three-time Olympic medallist.
Osmond told the crowd the support she receives from the people of the province, particularly her hometown, continues to motivate her to keep skating.
“I haven’t lived here in 14 years and it feels like that support has never left me, even when I’m on the opposite of the world competing,” she said.
Many of those gathered at St. Gabriel’s Hall waiting for a moment with the three-time Canadian champion were young figure skaters from the area who look to Osmond for inspiration.
Martika Cox, a skater with Grand Bank-Fortune’s Cutting Edge Figure Skating Club, was thrilled to meet Osmond.
“It meant so much to me. She inspires me so much and it’s so nice to meet my inspiration,” she said.
“She’s just so passionate with everything she does and it makes me feel passionate about what I do.”
Tyra Tulk, also a Cutting Edge member, said she looks up to Osmond’s work ethic and determination.
“I never thought I would meet her, and seeing her on TV, that just made me want to meet her more, so this was awesome,” she said.
Hailey Hooper, who started skating on ponds when she was two and joined Marystown’s Ice Crytal Skating Club a year later, has met Osmond before and was eager to do so again.
“She’s the whole reason why I started skating,” she said. “She just tries her best and if she falls, she doesn’t really care.”
Osmond was the guest skater for the Ice Crystal’s annual ice show later Saturday afternoon.
A delegation from the provincial government was in Marystown for the celebration, including Premier Dwight Ball.
“I will tell you, I’ve never met a more genuine young person in our province,” Ball said during the meet and greet.
“Kaetlyn Osmond calls this home. She often refers to how great it is be come back to Newfoundland and Labrador, and I will tell you now that she genuinely, genuinely believes in all of that.”
