That viral, back-flipping figure skater? He's a Calgarian with plans to uplift diverse athletes

It's a move he's become famous for on social media. 

Elladj Baldé glides across an outdoor rink in Bowness, a neighbourhood in northwest Calgary, and once he's up to speed, he spins around. Gracefully, he swings one foot forward, thrusts his body into the air and slams back down onto the ice as he lands a backflip.

His unique moves have garnered a lot of attention, Baldé says, but he suspects there's another reason why people are taking pause.

"I don't look like a typical figure skater," he said.

"To be able to show the next generation of Black, Indigenous and people of colour that we are here and we can be successful is one of the most powerful messages that we can bring out into our community."

Baldé started gaining attention on social media in December 2020. His wife, Michelle Dawley, posted a video him lacing up his skates, hopping onto a rink in Altadore — in southwest Calgary — and throwing his signature flip before dancing around the rink. 

Within 24 hours, the post had something like 10 million views, Dawley said.

"It's so wild cause you don't realize the impact and how many people are actually seeing it," she said. "It was pretty wild, pretty overwhelming."

Today, Baldé has about two million followers between his TikTok and Instagram accounts, she said.

He's using the exposure to inspire other diverse figure skaters. He also co-founded the Skate Global Foundation with Dawley to create more representation in the sport.

It officially launched in November 2021 to support and fund Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) pursuing competitive figure skating. 

Already, the duo has helped to refurbish a rink in northeast Calgary. They also handed out 50 pairs of skates to community members. 

"Skating in general