“When Diana turned 16, she said to me, ‘I can’t see a coach here who is interested in working with us – a professional who can teach us how to skate well and become real athletes.’ That’s when her determination emerged. My phone was ringing constantly with her saying, ‘I’m going, that’s it! We have to train there!’”
Tutberidze admitted she was initially hesitant about the distance:
“I told her, ‘How do you imagine this? It’s a huge distance – I can’t just be there in an instant. I won’t be able to help.’ But she stood her ground, no matter how much I tried to persuade her otherwise."