How a Ladakh lover from US, coach Natalie Falsgraf giving back to local community through her figure skating expertise

Leh (Ladakh), Jan. 23: Figure skating coach Natalie Falsgraf is a romantic to all intents and purposes. An American citizen, she first visited Leh-Ladakh in 2018 and instantly fell in love with the mountainous place. She has since taken on multiple coaching roles, teaching kids all over the Union Territory sheer out of the goodness of her heart.
Presently the first leg of Khelo India Winter Games 2026 (KIWG) is underway in Leh and for the first time in the Games’ history, figure skating made its debut which has well and truly brought Natalie to the centre of attention — no exaggeration.
“I have been a figure skater for most of my life, and when I first heard about figure skating in India, and ice skating in India happening in Ladakh, about the natural rinks they have here, people playing hockey here, and building ice rinks, so I was really interested, and I wanted to visit. I wanted to skate on natural ice, and see this community that was built around ice skating in general,” Natalie told SAI Media.