Friday, Mar. 12, 2010
COMMENTARY Former Olympian Debi Thomas recalls days at Calgary
By STEVE PENN
The Kansas City Star
By STEVE PENN
The Kansas City Star
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ReprintDebi Thomas, the first African-American athlete to win a medal in the Winter Olympics, told an audience last weekend at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum that she would enjoy doing her Olympic experience over again.
Thomas, who is now an orthopedic surgeon in Terre Haute, Ind., credited her mother with exposing her to skating competitions.
“I ended up coming in first in my first skating competition,” Thomas said. “So I guess I was hooked after that.”
Thomas went on to win both the 1986 U.S. national women’s figure skating title and the women’s title at the 1986 World Figure Skating Championships. In 1987, Thomas suffered Achilles tendonitis in both ankles and struggled at the U.S. Nationals, placing second, but she rebounded at the World Championships, finishing a close second.
In 1988, she reclaimed the U.S. national title. And then at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, she won the bronze medal.
“My big thing about the Olympics was I wanted to go and give the performance of my life, which I didn’t do, so now I have to live with that,” Thomas said.
“Life is full of success and failure. You can’t be a success without being a failure. I wish I could do the Olympics over knowing what I know now. I would have enjoyed it more.”
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Career professionals representing an array of jobs converged on Satchel Paige Elementary School in Kansas City recently. Career day was March 4 at the school at 3301 E. 75th St.
About 40 professionals, including police, firefighters, lawyers and even a newspaper columnist (yes, me), were invited to speak.
James Jenkins II, the school’s principal, said career day links the students to the community.
“We want our students to know that there are individuals out there in careers that maybe our students haven’t thought about,” Jenkins said. “This gives our students the opportunity to question them and to find out information.”
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John Bluford, CEO of Truman Medical Center, was extremely pleased with renovations to the Lucile Bluford Library, named after his late cousin.
Bluford, who attended the rededication ceremony last Saturday, said the renovations mark a new beginning.
“This marks a renaissance for this community,” Bluford said. “Retail is critical. But a library — this is special.”
Bluford complimented R. Crosby Kemper III, director of the Kansas City Public Library.
“I’m impressed with how Crosby and his staff have brought this community together to make this happen,” Bluford said.
Truman Medical Center plans to partner with the library to hold educational sessions on health.
“If we educate our community and they become healthier, then the sky is the limit in terms of achievement,” Bluford said.