Mari Malama

• Specialty: Freestyle, choreography
  

• Club: Portland isc

Mari took her first steps on the ice at 5 years old in Honolulu, Hawaii. She began coaching in 2006 while earning bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Portland. Her mission is to produce quality skaters who understand the importance of resilience. She encourages her athletes to abandon all self-doubt and adopt a ‘No Limits’ mindset, for there is no limit to how good you can be as long as you are hungry to learn.

Her philosophy has been shaped by years of apprenticeship under World and Olympic coaches, Rafael Arutyunyan and Christy Krall. She enjoys the process of taking skaters from a competitive level and raising them to become elite athletes. Her ultimate goal is to build skaters who can push the boundaries of our sport.

As a member of Team USA, she has collaborated directly with U.S. Figure Skating (USFS), the Professional Skaters Association (PSA), and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to strategize developmental plans for the next generation of figure skaters. Most of all, Mari is very passionate about her craft and wants to share it with everyone. As former Vice President and board member of the Portland Ice Skating Club, she hopes to raise public awareness of figure skating in the Northwest and beyond. In 2020, she helped establish Oregon Ice Academy, a developmental training program designed to transform aspiring skaters from beginners to competitive athletes. Mari has more than15 years experience coaching regional, sectional, national, and international medalists.