BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Former world figure skating champion Debi Thomas married two weeks ago and kept the news a secret - even from her coach. I went for the opening ceremony, then went back home for a week to train. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, http://www.espn.com/skating/news/2000/0209/345701.html, http://blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/the_state_of_black_america_news/16253, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. The couple resides in sout-west Virginia in what is rumoured to be a somewhat difficult relationship. They divorced. But I dont know what it could have been if things had been different in Calgary. Thomas went on to become a practicing orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement. She said that the relationship did not interfere with her Olympic effort. Debi Thomas at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games on February 27, 1988 at the Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Photo: GettyImages. Everyone in your support group has to try and understand what youre going through. ''I did not want this news to detract from my focus on the world championships,'' Thomas said. 'It's not my primary goal,' she said. The truth is, she said, she did not lose the gold medal that night. She is also a physician and orthopedic surgeon. There were no apologies, just explanations. send a message to a profile manager: https://www.blacknamesproject.com/people/debi-thomas-debra-janine-thomas, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debi_Thomas, https://www.newspapers.com/image/191059259/?article=e072bd0b-be1a-4bd0-a526-632b688f4780&focus=0.019761946,0.31032646,0.17781022,0.6181982&xid=3398, USBH Notables, Needs Genealogically Defined, US Black Heritage Project, Needs Profiles Created, US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles. Winning both of these titles in the same year earned Thomas the ABCs Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year award in 1986. Debi told ABC Sports: For as long as I can really remember, I wanted to be a doctor [] I would make my mom buy me the toy doctor kit.". I lost that feeling. He really tried to make it happen from his standpoint. When she heard one of those typical reporter questions--would you do it all over again?--she laughed. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. Music [ edit] Ark joined the band His Boy Elroy as a guitarist. During her career she won numerous prestigious competitions, and became one of the best figure skaters of all time, for which she was inducted into the Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000. The band recorded two independent albums I've Suffered A Head Injury and Pop Smear. I wasnt mentally focused on hitting that program. She admitted that she gave up during her performance, saying that she lost her motivation only seconds into her routine when she failed to complete her most difficult trick, consecutive triple jumps. They have also lived in Denver, CO and Westminster, CO. Brian is related to Tracy Renee Szobody and Eric James Olson as well as 3 additional people. Required fields are marked *. People said that I could have come back from that triple-triple combination, she said. [3] He received his schooling at Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town, South Africa, and in 1950 played for the Western Province junior tennis team. I had several patients with severe vertigo and was looking to use some of the desensitization techniques that have since come into practice. In 1997 she graduated from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Thomas said she has to go back home and work hard for her exams, so she can enter medical school. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. It was like being at Skate Canada again. Yet, almost a year ago to this day, on the next-to-last night of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, Thomas, by her own admission, neither skated nor behaved like a champion. There has been little desire to do that on the part of advertisers. Debi Thomas spent her childhood with her brother in San Jose, California and she was raised by a single mother, as her parents divorced when she was a young girl; both of her parents were computer programming analysts. She was in shock, Ogden said. Here I was at the Olympics, and I didnt feel like I was at the Olympics, she said. How rich is Debi Thomas? On the show, Iyanla Vanzant slammed Debi for losing the custody of her then-13 years old son, while raising Looneys two boys. She draws large ovations at most performances, particularly on the East and West coasts, and said she still receives numerous fan letters. Vander Ark played bassist Ricki Bell, of the fictional band Blood Pollution. She said Vanden Hogen is a student at the University of Colorado. He said that she did not mean disrespect to Witt or Manley. She was also the first African American to earn the U.S. national titles in ladies singles figure skating. He told me, Do it for America. I thought, What does America have to do with this? Im the one who skated all those hours. [when?] As for the skating, everyone, except perhaps Thomas, could forgive that. Figure Skating Championships becoming the first African American to win a non-novice title. Her letter was technically intelligent and thoughtful. I have often thought about Debbie Thomas, and wondered to what extent that harsh reality shaped her mind. Her Calgary experience humanized her to a certain extent, he said. BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Former world figure skating champion Debi Thomas married two weeks ago and kept the news a secret - even from her coach. Lots of us do and beautiful Debbie deserves the best life qs much as anyone out there. Are Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue Dating? It was a fall greater than any she had ever taken on the ice, this fall from grace. Debis business inexperience and the fact that she chose a less populated town to open her first practice, soon led her to fall behind with her bills as she struggled to make end meets. Debi became a practicing orthopedic surgeon, and in 2006, she was offered an orthopedic fellowship at the Dorr Arthritis Institute in Los Angeles. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It may look [to] people on the outside like its insane, but I dont care, Debi told the New York Post in 2018. Right after graduation, she began working as an orthopedic surgeon, most notably for the ORTHO X-cellence Debra J. Thomas in Richlands, Virginia, which initially increased her net worth, but unfortunately the facility closed in 2014, and there is no record of her working since that point. She was in private practice in Richlands, Virginia, but her practice has since closed. Debi Thomas is currently living in Terre Haute, Indiana with her husband and son, and is a practicing physician in that city. I am thrilled.''. 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All Rights Reserved. But if she missed it, it might set the tone for the rest of her four-minute performance. Debi Thomas is an African American former figure skater and physician. Thomas, of San Jose, Calif., came in third in the final standings of the women's event Saturday. In 2015, Debi made headlines and grabbed national attention once again when she appeared in an episode of OWNs Iyanla: Fix My Life to made her struggles public. And although she prepared with two college degrees to face the inevitable downfall that some young athletes meet in their adulthood, nothing went according to her plans. Critics arent satisfied, Olympic snowboarders accuse USOPC, national federation of sex trafficking in lawsuit, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Yet more rain expected to hit California in March. S he then won bronze in the world championship and retired from amateur skating. Her agent, Jay Ogden of the International Management Group, said that is the reason she seemed so distant during the awards ceremony. Thomas again won a championship in the U.S. National Title competition and thus was chosen to represent the United States in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta (Canada). Figure Skating Championships in Denver, 1988 | Photo: GettyImages. But I told him that if that were true, I wouldnt have won at the national championships (a month before the Olympics). She felt that people were going to hate her.. Hanging at the pool solving the world's problems with the real life Rudy Ruettiger, whose story was the inspiration for, Posted by Debi Thomas onTuesday, May 18, 2010. PRIVACY TAKE-DOWN REQUEST 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. Thomas was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1967 and first started skating around the age of five. As anyone who follows sports realizes, that sometimes happens. Debi Thomas, the United States figure skating champion and Olympic bronze medalist, announced today that she was married to a University of Colorado student just before the world figure skating championships that ended here Saturday. But those people dont understand who I am. However, she wouldnt last more than a year in that or any other institution because she was difficult to work with. To speak further of her accomplishments as a figure skater, Debi won the Bronze Medal at the Winter Olympics in Calgary 1988, after which she retired from amateur figure skating, but participated in professional events, including the World Professional Championships in 1988, which she won as a part of the Stars On Ice skating group. But you cant make someone do something they dont want to do. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Mikaela Shiffrin wins gold in giant slalom for seventh world title, Bass chief of staff says hell avoid Olympics issues for a year. She answered all of them. She started seeing Jamie Looney, a single father of two who lived in a trailer and soon realized he had troubles with alcohol and prescription narcotics. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. The Verve Pipe's major label debut, Villains, featured the Vander Ark-penned single "The Freshmen", the group's highest-charting single and one of the most successful multi-format tracks of 1997. How tall is Kristopher London? '', See the article in its original context from. She is an actress, known for Nutcracker on Ice (2009), American Gladiators (1989) and Win, Lose or Draw (1987). Vander Ark also composed the musical scores for Dead & Breakfast and Unearthed. She place second in the 1987 World Championships to East German skater Katarina Witt. In 1991 she graduated from Stanford University with a degree in engineering. That same year, Thomas won the U.S. Championships. Inducted into the San Jose [California] Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. Takin selfies with friends and new friends at #WOFLovedTour pic.twitter.com/kMCdLTxlUt, Debi Thomas (@Orthodeb) October 10, 2015, Posted by Debi Thomas onWednesday, November 2, 2016, In 1986, Thomas won the US National and World Championships, culminating in her being awarded Athlete of the Year from Wide World of Sports, the first female athlete to win while still attending college full-time, since Tenley Albright during the 1950s. Brian Vanden Hogen Business Analyst at Electronic Theatre Controls Madison, Wisconsin, United States. In Colorado, all I had to do was skate and skate and skate. She is the spokeswoman for their reading campaign. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Brian Van der Hoeven (Only RP Spanish) See Photos Brian Hogan See Photos Brian Hogan See Photos Loading more results. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Type above and press Enter to search. She was the first Black athlete to win a medal at a Winter Olympics. People feel now that they can touch her.. Debra Janine Thomas was born on the 25th March 1967 in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA of American and African ancestry. Ogden said he believes the only other woman who will have a significant standing in the next Q ratings is sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner. The first black skater to win a U.S. No longer an amateur, Thomas said she might consult McGowan at times in future. People who have organized various shows in which she has performed, and those who have publicized them, and even some of the other skaters, say that she is demanding and temperamental, as if, they say, she expects to be treated as the gold medalist that she never became. If ever the word champion fit a figure skater, it was Debi Thomas. After looking forward for so long to participating in the Olympics, she said that she was not able to enjoy it once she was there. She lost it months before, when she discovered that she no longer was receiving the same satisfaction from skating as she had in the past. She was unable to keep the practice going, and soon after, bills started to mount. Her rivalry with East Germany's Katarina Witt at the 1988 Calgary Olympics was known as the Battle of the Carmens. Its a no-win situation for me, he said in Baltimore. View Brian Vanden Hogen's business profile as Business Analyst at ETC. She finally decided that even if she missed, she would have plenty of time to recover. 'I did not want the news to detract from my focus on the World Championship,' said Thomas, who finished third in the women's event to East Germany's Katarina Witt and Elizabeth Manley of Canada Saturday. She later appeared in an episode of Iyania: Fix My Life. But Ogden said they turned down some offers and are still entertaining others. Graduated from Northwestern Medical School (1997), Graduated from Stanford University with a degree in engineering, On the cover of Time magazine (February 15, 1988). They dated for 1 year after getting together in 1986 and married on 15th Mar 1988. I just thought that it was magical having to glide across the ice. That is so technically difficult that no other woman even attempted that in her long program. I would go home and do nothing. They began dating steady a year ago and married on her husband's 23rd birthday. Her weight is estimated to be around 53 kg. Your email address will not be published. 2 years later they divorced in 1991. He read about it in news reports after the world championships, in which she again finished third. Inside the Figure Skaters' Off-Ice Relationship, Caitlyn Jenner Feels That 'Old Bruce' Still 'Lives Inside Her - Kids Call Her Dad Even After Transition. Thomas, who celebrated her 21st birthday Friday, was married on March 15 in Boulder, Colo., to Brian Vanden Hogen, who turned 23 that day. Clipping found in Green Bay Press-Gazette in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Feb 20, 1998. debi thomas brian vanden hogen So, why did this idiot speaker refer to her as a loser? She also lost custody of her son due to poor living conditions. In 1991 she graduated from Stanford University with a degree in engineering. She was a champion of the underprivileged, which she did not mind so much because it allowed her mother to take some credit. Celebs Wiki Debi Thomas fans also viewed: Cho Kuk Edgar Berger James Cantor Christopher Nielsen Daniel David Tiger Memon The following year she suffered an injury, but still competed, and finished second at the World Championships held in Cincinnati, which also contributed to her net worth. In 1996, she married Chris Bequette, a sports attorney, and they had a son before divorcing. That same year, Thomas earned the top spot at the World Championships. A close up of my four biggest skating accomplishments Olympic Bronze, Two U.S. National Championship Golds, and a, Posted by Debi Thomas onSaturday, March 27, 2010. He guided her career through to the Olympics. In the latest Q ratings for athletes, which indicate a persons marketability, Thomas finished 12th. Van der Meer was born in South West Africa as Dennis Douglas van der Merwe, the fourth child of Maria Dorothea van der Merwe (ne Hagen) and Isak Jacobus van der Merwe, a minister of religion. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Later in the year, she was given the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Candace Award for Trailblazing. In the end I think Debi, as well as the rest of us learn some really valuable life lessons, especially through hardship. The next year she returned even more ready to turn things around in both events. Recapping the news, results and highlights from The Times team of reporters who covered the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. I might have come back and won, but thats not the way I wanted to win it.. I wanted the Olympics to be the performance of my life, Thomas said. Bill Szymczyk then produced Brian's followup, Magazine, in 2011. They had a son, Luc Bequette (b. Her mother drove over 100 miles a day for four years so Debi could practice and then be back at home to do her schoolwork. View the profiles of people named Brian Hogan. After winning a number of youth competitions, Thomas caught the eye of coach Alex . Debi Thomas and Brian Vanden Hogen were married for 2 years. 'At the moment though, it's such a relief that it's all over, I don't have those butterflies in my stomach any more.'. Thomas, who turned 21 Friday, broke the news immediately after her appearance in the closing show of the championships. Who would not crack under that kind of treatment? Thomas signed on with coach Alex McGowan, when she was 10 years old. 1997), who plays defensive tackle for California. The couple also has a son from the wedlock by the name of Christopher Jules who was born in 1997. She was the first athlete since Tenley Albright in the 1950s to win those titles while attending college. Structural Info Facts During this time, she was studying a pre-med course at Stanford University, and it was considered unusual for a competitive figure skater to attend college at the same time because of the combined work load. 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