Jennifer Anne Kirk was born August 15, 1984 in Newton MA. An active child, Jenny, was interested in many activities throughout her youth. She began taking gymnastics at 5 and continued until age 9. Jenny left the sport of gymnastics after competing numerous times in level 5 and soon after pursued ice skating.
At age 9, Jenny started skating with Christina Oleson at the Skating Club of Boston. By 10, she was competing at the Juvenile Level. Soon after winning the New England Juvenile Ladies title, she began training with coaches Evy and Mary Scotvold.
Even with the intense competitive atmosphere of elite figure skating, Jenny has maintained a relatively normal life. A student at Harwich High School, she attends classes daily, choosing to forgo the norm of outside tutoring that most competitive figure skaters endure.
"Skating isn't my entire life," says Jenny, of this decision. "I know that any day I could fall and get injured and have to stop skating. Without school and an education, I wouldn't have anything to fall back on. School and a good education are very important to me."
Jenny's first trip to the U.S. National Championships came in 1998 when she competed in the novice division. Coming in as the regional and sectional champion, she emerged triumphant with a bronze medal.
The following year, Jenny moved up to the Junior division and won her second regional championship. As a result of a subsequent strong finish at the 1999 Eastern Sectional Championships, she made her second trip to the nationals, an event she still remembers as being "extremely important."
"I knew I had to skate well to get people to notice me and my skating," she recalled.
The judges took notice that year, awarding Jenny the bronze medal. She later received two international competition assignments.
Jennifer moved up to the Senior (Olympic-eligible) level in the summer of 1999 after passing her senior freestyle tests. While planning to compete nationally at the senior level, Jennifer was only permitted to represent the United States internationally as a Junior (due to age restrictions set forth by the International Skating Union).
In 1999, Jenny made a splash at the Junior Grand Prix Series events early in the competitive season by winning silver and gold in Holland and Japan, respectively. Jenny was also one of two American ladies to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final and represent the United States.
Jenny's mere qualification for the series final granted her a bye to the National Championships in Cleveland where she competed for the first time at the senior level.
Of this experience, Jenny exclaimed, "I really wanted to skate well and do two great programs. Overall, I was very happy with Nationals and I was very excited when I found out I was chosen for Junior Worlds!"
Competing with one of the most technically demanding programs in Cleveland, Jenny placed sixth after landing two triple lutzes and a triple-triple combination in her long program.
The World Junior Championships were a turning point in Jenny's figure skating career. Competing with three technically superior programs, she won her first major international event, joining the ranks of Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan (former World Junior Champions).
Jenny recorded a podium finish at the 2001 National Championships, finishing in 4th place to Michelle Kwan, Sarah Hughes and Angela Nikodinov. She also made her senior international debut during the 2000-2001 season, posting her first podium finish on the Grand Prix circuit, winning the bronze medal at Trophee Lalique in Paris, France.
In the summer leading up to the 2002 Olympic season, Jenny experienced a personal loss when her mother, Pat Harris, passed away due to breast cancer. An ever-present force in Jenny's skating, her mother was always one of Jenny's biggest supporters.
Dedicating the season's performances to her mother, Jenny emerged as a changed athlete with a renewed perspective and newfound strength in 2002. After shortly missing the podium at Nationals, she claimed her first senior international win, at the Four Continents Championships, and became a member of the senior World Championship team for the first time. A perfect ending to a trying season and a fitting tribute to her mother, Jenny's victory is an indication of great things to come.
Biography provided by Jennifer Kirk Online |
