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Tara Lipinski Lipinski began roller skating before switching over to ice skating at the age of six. She instantly showed great talent, though she experienced some problems when her old roller skating techniques came back to haunt her during ice skating jumps. She first began taking lessons at the the Houston Galleria Ice Rink where she trained in the early morning hours before school.Making wonderful progress, she became the youngest winner of the US Olympic Festival's Spirit of St. Louis Award in 1994. Her parents hired Richard Callahan as her coach, which required the family to take out a second mortgage on their home and move Lipinski with her mother to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, while her father stayed in Sugarland, Texas to work. The hardships became worth it when Lipinski became the youngest woman to win the World Championships in 1997, breaking the legendary Sonja Henie's record set exactly 50 years earlier. This victory added to her win at the US National Championships, quickly made her a forerunner for the Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. Although Michelle Kwan seemed the most likely candidate for gold in Nagano, Japan, Lipinski could not be counted out. While Kwan had an athletically competitive program, Lipinski had the difficult triple loop / triple loop combination in her free skate. Many, however, doubted her artistic ability next to Kwan's. Lipinski skated her free program to the music "The Rainbow", delivering a performance full of grace and maturity while nailing every jump in her program cleanly. With a tear stained face, she jumped for joy as her marks were read and her dream of winning Olympic gold had been realized. Following the Olympics, Lipinski joined the professional skating ranks wanting to spend more time with her parents. In high demand after winning at Nagano, Japan, she chronicled her young life in: Triumph on Ice: An Autobiography by Tara Lipinski as Told to Emily Costello. In 1999, she began acting on television appearing in an episode of Touched By An Angel and has a recurring role on the daytime drama, Young and The Restless. In the fall of 1998, Lipinski joined the tour of Stars On Ice, with fellow gold medalist Ilia Kulik. A wonderful performer, she still competes on a professional level. Her contributions to the sport have opened the door for younger skating stars proving that artistry doesn't have to come with age. QUICK FACTS... DOB: 06/10/1982 Place of Birth: Philadelphia, PA, USA Photo � Leah Adams   |
Copyright � 2001 Vicki Bennett
