I made Kathryn's toe-dancing bear a figure skater for this layout!

Journaling:
As I remember it, I was about 11 years old. I was babysitting at a neighbor’s house. Now that I think about that, it does seem odd to me since they had girls in the household who were the same age as me. Why one of them didn’t babysit their younger siblings, I don’t know. They had a number of books and I picked up one to look at. It was about a figure skater. Her name was Carol Heiss. It told about her struggles to become a champion and her main rival, Tenley Albright. Carol had competed in the 1956 Olympics and won the silver medal. Tenley had won gold. That got me interested in watching figure skating on television.
Back then, pre-Tonya-Harding, figure skating was on television maybe twice a year and every four years at Olympic time. It would be covered by Wide World of Sports. By the Olympic year of 1960, Carol had already won the World title several times. And, that year, she finally captured the Olympic gold. She successfully defended her World title a month later.
Also back in those days, the line between professional and amateur was not as blurred as it is today. Once you won gold at the Olympics, you almost HAD to turn pro, to help pay back for all of the money it cost to make you a champion. Fortunately, Carol did turn professional. The reason I say “fortunately,” is that, the next year, on the way to the World Championships in Belgium on 2/15/61, a Boeing 707 carrying the entire US team crashed, killing all aboard. I can still remember the devastation I felt at the loss of all of those wonderful young skaters, and how relieved to know that my sports hero had been spared.
Through the years, I continued my interest in figure skating, watching such wonderful stars as Peggy Fleming and Scott Hamilton.
In 1996, the National championships were held in San Jose, California. My sister was living there at the time and attended one of the events. I told her to be on the lookout for an up and coming skater, a tiny little thing named Tara Lapinski. She recognized her right away and was very impressed with the first time senior skater, who won a bronze medal.
My sister encouraged me to attend the Nationals in 1997, since they would be held in Nashville, Tennessee, not too far from Ohio. Even alone, I had a glorious time. I got to ride on a bus with one of my favorites, Todd Eldridge; became excited to discover a novice skater who blew me away with her spins, Naomi Nari Nam; was charmed by a junior skater, Matt Savoie, who won gold skating to “Dueling Banjos”; had front row seats to the main events; and witnessed the stunning upset of the invincible Michelle Kwan by the upstart 14-year old Lapinski. But, most importantly, I got the autograph of the woman who started it all, Carol Heiss, then (as now) a coach.
Silly me. I thought, “Been there, done that.” I don’t have to go to the Nationals again. Besides, it could never be as wonderful as it was this first time. WRONG.
The entire next year when the event was going on in Philadelphia, I was kicking myself for not being there. I immediately made plans to attend the 1999 Nationals in Salt Lake City.
In 2000, the Nationals were held in Cleveland. OF COURSE, I had to attend, being in my home state. It was there in a freezing neighborhood ice rink, as a handful of us watched the Novice Dance event, that I discovered the pair who would become my passion for the next decade. Meryl Davis and Charlie White were barely into double digits in their ages. They were so tiny. But, they cut a big path in my heart and memory as I watched them skate to 6th place. There was something about them, however, that brought tears to my eyes with the beauty of their skating.
I followed their career over the years and even met them and their families. They have grown into a beautiful and successful team.
And, in 2009, back in the city where it all began for them, they won the senior gold medal in ice dancing. I couldn’t have been more proud if they had been my own kids.
In 1997, I remember being with the sister of one of the competitors, Dan Hollander, as she watched her brother compete. She was so nervous and tense, riding a roller coaster of emotion as he skated. I laughed, thinking how cute it was for her to be so emotional when he skated. Of course, I find myself going through the very same emotions when I watch “my kids” ice dance.
So, as I lay in the Valium [VBG] and prepare for my trip to Spokane, Washington in 2010, I’m warning the family here at Gotta Pixel - be prepared. There will be MORE SKATING PICTURES in about two months!
11/18/09