Coaches
Leeza Shekhter
High Performance Director
Director of Programs for Delta Skating Club
National Certified Coach
Gold Freeskate
Leeza Shekhter - Director of Skating for Delta Skating Club
Leeza Shekhter has been skating since the age of 6 and competed up to Senior Ladies category in singles freeskate. Leeza has been coaching since 2014 and Director of Delta Skating Club since 2021. Leeza is a National Certified Coach.
To help the skaters on the ice Leeza is currently studying Sport Science and working on her bachelors in physical education and coaching with a specialization in kinesiology.
Leeza is always looking for new ways to help our skaters improve and reach their goals on the ice. She bases her teaching from a physics and biomechanics point of view.
Haylee Smith
CanSkate Coordinator
Co-Lead Rising Star Academy
Regional In-Training
Haylee Smith - Delta Skating Club CanSkate Supervisor
Haylee has been figure skating since she could walk and grew up training with the Delta Skating Club. She is ecstatic to be a part of the club’s coaching team where her daughter now also skates.
Haylee completed her degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Hawaii Maui College. After living on Maui for five years and desperately missing the ice, she returned to Vancouver and spent the next five years pursuing a career with a wide scale city program as their Head Skating Instructor. Haylee has now brought her Learn to Skate experience to the Delta Skating Club as our Canskate Supervisor.
Haylee believes in giving all skaters a fun and encouraging start to their skating journey. It is integral to her as a coach to create strong and positive bonds with our skaters so she can support them whole heartedly in their long term development.
Mervin Tran
Club Program Coach
Co-Lead Rising Star Academy
National In-Training
PowerSkate Trained
Mervin Tran - Club Program Coach
Mervin is a former athlete with 15 years of experience competing at the World level having represented Japan, Canada, and the United States respectively throughout his career. During his competitive career he accumulated 10 national and 18 international medals; one being from the
2012 ISU World Figure Skating Championships where he placed 3rd in the Pairs event with partner, Narumi Takahashi.
In 2011, Mervin became a certified Skate Canada coach and his experience would range from all ages and disciplines; from toddlers to adults skating as recreational participants or international medalists. He has coached many disciplines on the ice including, Singles, Dance, Pairs, Synchro, and Power Skating.
His enthusiasm to help others improve in skating began from volunteering as a young Program Assistant for CanSkate and Special Olympics, this would also include ice dance partnering skaters all the way up to Diamond Dance assessments. His coaching career has a diverse background that includes instructional experiences from around the globe with a determination to incorporate Mathematics and Physics into his lessons.
Jackie Christoff
Club Program Coach
PowerSkate Certified
Regional Certified Coach
Skating Skills & Interpretive (Gold)
Jackie Christoff - Club Program Coach
Jackie has been with the Delta Skating Club since 2002 as a Board Member, Program Assistant & Adult Skater.
Coach Synchronized Skating since 2010.
Competed in Synchronized Skating for over 12 years.
Jackie continues to skate for fun and competes in Freeskate, Artistic and Dance at Adult ISU competitions.
Inca Chan
Club Program Coach
Provincial Trained Coach
Freeskate, Skating Skills & Interpretative (Gold Level)
Inca Chan - Club Program Coach
Inca has been figure skating since the age of 6 and competed up to Novice and Gold Ladies in freeskate. She has been coaching since 2015 and graduated from UBC’s dual degree program in May 2022 with Bachelor’s degrees in Food Nutrition and Health and Education. She is also currently teaching as a secondary school teacher for the Delta school district.
As a coach, she strives to develop skaters to their fullest potential, inspire learning and help them achieve their skating goals in a fun, interactive and safe environment. She believes in teaching with demonstrations and by not only explaining what to do, but also what it feels like to do it.
David Gibson
Club Program Coach
PowerSkate Certified
Provincial Certified
David Gibson - Club Program Coach
David has competed in figure skating and ice dancing at a National level.
He has also performed as a freestyle skater and ice dancer in various international skating shows. He also teaches hockey players from beginner through Jr league level, helping them to improve their skating skills to be better players.
As well as teaching skating he has his class 5 refrigeration certification and works full time as an ice arena operator with the City of Surrey.
David enjoys skating and teaching others to improve their skating, helping them to reach and score their goals.
Breanne Skinner
Club Program Coach
Regional Certified
Breanne Skinner - Club Program Coach
Breanne has been a figure skater since she was 2 years old. She is looking to push herself further into her skating and coaching.
Breanne is finishing up high school and is going to university to study forensic investigation.
Breanne is looking for ways to improve herself as well as helping other skaters improve and hopes to continue further into her coaching journey.
Saskia Shillington
Club Program Coach
PowerSkate Trained
Regional In-Training
Saskia Shillington - Club Program Coach
Saskia believes in continuous learning and recognises the importance of support and friendships in skating. She hopes to create a positive environment so that skaters are able to enjoy the sport as much as she does.
Vasilisa Matantseva
Club Program Coach
Regional Trained
Vasilisa Matantseva - Club Program Coach
COMING SOON
Chelsea Trenkel
Club Program Coach
CanSkate Trained
Chelsea Trenkel - Club Program Coach
Lucia Sedgwick
Club Program Coach
CanSkate Trained
Lucia Sedgwick - Club Program Coach
COMING SOON
Caitlin Jerrett
Club Program Coach
CanSkate Trained
Caitlin Jerrett - Club Program Coach
Chase Boutilier
Club Program Coach
CanSkate Trained
Chase Boutilier - Club Program Coach
COMING SOON
Tomoyo Yamada
Dance Instructor
Performance Specialist Certified
Tomoyo Yamada - Club Program Coach
Tomoyo Yamada is a dancer, performer, and choreographer originally from Japan. She began her dance training at the age of 3 and expanded into jazz, tap, hip-hop, and lyrical styles after relocating to the United States. Upon returning to Japan, she was scouted by Hikarigaoka Girl’s High School and contributed to her team’s 6th place finish at the All Japan Dance Festival Kobe Nationals. While pursuing her undergraduate degree in Health and Sports Science, Tomoyo continued her dance training in Modern and Contemporary styles before moving to Vancouver to pursue a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Arts at Simon Fraser University. Upon graduation, she became an instructor at Arts Umbrella while running her project-based collective, Clala Project. In addition to her work in dance, Tomoyo is active in Theatre and Film industries, contributing as both an actor and choreographer.
