Worst Coach in the World Part I

Created by a severely handicapped former figure skater, this lighthearted visual novel follows Valentina, a Russian competitive skater who leaves everything behind in pursuit of an office career far, far away from home. 

Little is she prepared to end up managing a rundown resort in rural Ukraine, let alone one which has a skating rink at the heart of its shopping mall.

Fate takes an unexpected turn when a freak accident thrusts Valentina into the spotlight, making her an overnight viral sensation. With the resort's newfound popularity, Valentina must now work tirelessly to transform the rundown and slightly haunted mall into a proper holiday destination.

At the same time, she is reluctantly tasked with managing the once-deserted ice skating rink and keep its skaters under control.

  Linear storyline, 3-hour read.
 Anatomically correct figure skating positions.
 As a severely handicapped sufferer of spinal cord injury (C5-7),  my fingers are extremely weak and twitchy, so I sincerely hope you can forgive my use of AI-assisted art in this solo project.

Hi there, my name is Mark Leung. You may know me as the creator of College Saga.

In June 2021, I fell and broke my neck while training my backflip. Immediately, I lost sensation and control below my chest and could hardly move my fingers.  Such was spinal cord injury, a cruel and utterly humiliating condition with no cure as of today. To make things worse, I developed a life-threatening bedsore in the ICU in my lower back, which took 2 major surgeries to 'dig out' and fill with surrounding flesh, and months of daily treatments.  

After a year of spitting into cough-assist machines and  staring at hospital ceilings, I was discharged, having regained nearly no control of my body.  I continue to deal with sensitivity to cold, persistent lower back pain, and the daily struggle of dizziness and low blood pressure that takes me up to 2 hours to gradually rise out of bed. Having minimal control with my core, I am always at risk of tipping sideways or forward unless I keep an arm on my wheelchair. With weak fingers, I can't click normal mouses or move around on my wheelchair. I am now 30% of my former self carrying a load of dead weight. I literally can't even steal candy from my own baby.

Being trapped in this body 24/7 has taken a significant toll on my mental health.  I have never experienced such an overwhelming and profound sense of shame and loneliness. Knowing about my creative past, my doctor advised me to create once again as a means to prevent myself from spiraling into depression. A form of escapism, if you will. So here is what the doctor ordered:  a fun, lighthearted visual novel inspired by 22 years of figure skating.