Our Coaches
Kati P. Churchill
Head Coach
Kati is a synchronized skating enthusiast and this will be her 27th season in the sport. This upcoming year will be her 11th season coaching IllinoiSkating and 13th season of coaching synchronized skating. She is a professional member of the USFSA and is a USFS Accredited Level 2 Coach in Synchronized Skating.
Kati has synchro skating and coaching experience at levels ranging from Aspire 2 to Senior. She has a long history with IllinoiSkating, starting with the team as a freshman in 2007. She has held executive board roles including, Treasurer and President during her undergraduate career and skated for the Collegiate and Senior teams from 2007-2011. In 2012, Kati helped form the first ever IllinoiSkating Alumni team and in 2013 returned to coach the Collegiate and Alumni teams alongside Audrey Kamm and Carah Ferrill. Prior to joining IllinoiSkating, Kati competed at the Intermediate and Junior divisions at the national level with the Starlights. In addition to coaching IllinoiSkating, she also coached the local Aspire teams for the Ice Cubes and offers private lessons for skating skills, ice dance, and solo and group program choreography.
Kati graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelors of Science. She also holds a Masters of Science from Purdue University and a MBA from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business.
Email: kati.churchill@gmail.com
Valerie Burkhart
Assistant Coach
This is Valerie’s second season on the IllinoiSkating coaching staff. She is a professional member of the USFSA and PSA and is working towards her certified synchro instructor rating. Valerie has been a group and private coach for 20 years and is excited to be coming home to her IllinoiSkating family.
Valerie knew she wanted to skate for the University of Illinois from her first visit to campus and Prospective Skaters’ Day, when the team was known as Illini Edge. Valerie skated for IllinoiSkating for 4 seasons; beginning with her freshman year at the University of Illinois in 2005. She was webmaster and team captain during her time with the team. After graduating, she served as team manager for one season. Prior to skating for the University of Illinois, Valerie skated at Inwood Ice Arena in Joliet, IL. She competed in singles and ice dance in ISI; including several ISI World Championships. She also skated on the in-house synchro team.
Valerie graduated from the University of Illinois in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Facility Management.
Email: vrburkhart@gmail.com
Alyssa Hjelmgren
Assistant Coach
Alyssa has been a member of the synchronized skating community since 2012. This is her third season of coaching, and first season of coaching synchro. She is a senior at the University of Illinois, and working towards her degree in Behavioral Neuroscience.
Alyssa has been skating since she was six years old, and skating synchro since she was eight. She has won multiple regional and national medals, and competed for Team USA for the last three seasons of her competitive year, winning bronze at the Junior World Championships in 2022. She is a triple USFS Gold Medalist in skating skills, ice dance, and solo free dance, and current vice president and coach of the Illinois Intercollegiate Figure Skating Team.
Since stepping down from the sport in 2023, it has been Alyssa’s goal to return to synchronized skating as a coach, and she is thrilled to be joining the team this season.
Email: lyshjelm@gmail.com