At the turn of the 20th century, two very important events occurred: figure skating became an Olympic sport (1908) and the first Women's Day was observed (1909).
While International Women's Day began as a movement for labor rights and universal suffrage, it has evolved into so much more. It is now a day when women are honored for their emotional, mental and physical strength.
So when figure skating became an Olympic sport in 1908, one of the few practiced by both men and women, it opened a gateway for women to show their strength to the world.
In honor of International Women's Day, here are a sampling of U.S. female figure skaters who have changed the course of history for women, both on and off the ice.
Meryl Davis
Meryl Davis and her partner Charlie White became the first U.S. ice dancers to win World (2011, '13) and Olympic titles (2014), as well as the first ice dance team ever to earn Level 4 on all of their elements. With an additional two Olympic medals, five consecutive Grand Prix Final titles, and a record six U.S. titles, Davis has set the ice dance bar at a historic high.
In 2016, Davis became a brand ambassador for UNICEF Kid Power, a philanthropic initiative to promote fitness to more privileged youth, and to simultaneously provide therapeutic food to severely malnourished children around the world. Today, Davis continues to explore her post-competition life studying cultural anthropology at the University of Michigan, while on the leadership team of Figure Skating in Detroit, an organization in the world for girls of color that combines the life-transforming power of education with access to the artistic discipline of figure skating.
Sarah Hughes
After winning gold at the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002, Hughes became one of the youngest figure skating Olympic champions, and still is to this day. As the first and only American woman to win Olympic gold without ever having won either a World or U.S. senior title, Hughes became an overnight success story and a long lasting icon for women that anything is possible.
Hughes is also a strong advocate for breast cancer awareness and an avid supporter of Figure Skating in Harlem, which provides free ice skating lessons and academic tutoring for girls in the Harlem community in New York City.
Tara Lipinski
As the youngest ladies skaters to win Olympic gold and the youngest ever to win a World title, Tara Lipinski is celebrated for her early figure skating success. Additionally, Lipinski is also praised as the first female skater to land a triple loop/triple loop jump combination, her signature element.
Although Lipinski retired at the relatively young age of 16, she has become the recent face of U.S. figure skating. Alongside figure skating analyst Johnny Weir, Lipinski was the official figure skating commentator for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games. The team's quirky commentary and exciting fashion statements brought them almost as much attention as the competing figure skaters, leading them to take on the 2018 Winter Olympic Games four years later.
Michelle Kwan
From 1995 to 2005, Michelle Kwan reigned as one of the most popular female athletes in the U.S. As a two-time Olympic medalist, five-time World champion and nine-time U.S. champion, Kwan is the most decorated ladies figure skater in U.S. history.
Even after her skating career, Kwan continued to set an example for empowered women by studying international relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, which ultimately helped her serve as an advisor to the U.S.-China Women's Leadership Exchange and Dialogue (Women-LEAD) and a surrogate to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign as an outreach coordinator.
Kristi Yamaguchi
As a young child, Kristi Yamaguchi originally began skating as a form of physical therapy for her club feet. However, this therapy eventually evolved into a competitive career highlighted by Olympic, World and U.S. championships. Officially a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, Yamaguchi has used her star power to establish the Always Dream Foundation, which provides funding for school programs benefiting underprivileged children.
Additionally, Yamaguchi is the creator of a woman's activewear line focused on function, comfort and style to empower women to look good and feel good. She is also the author of four published books, including the award-winning children's book Dream Big, Little Pig.
Peggy Fleming
1961 was an emotional year for the U.S. figure skating community. With the loss of the entire U.S. World Team from the Sabena plane crash, many members were left mourning and uncertain of the sports future. When Peggy Fleming went on to win the only American gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics, it was a symbol of perseverance.
After her skating career, Fleming was diagnosed with breast cancer. However, her brave fight only continued to shed light on her strength. After battling her own cancer, Fleming went on to become a strong advocate for breast cancer awareness and donated funds from her California winery to research.
Dorothy Hamill
In 1976, Dorothy Hamill struck gold with both an Olympic and World title. Hamill is also accredited with developing a new skating move called the "Hamill Camel," a camel spin that turns into a sit spin.
While Hamill's competitive career was relatively short, her original bobbed hair style and spunky personality brought her infinite publicity, in which the media ultimately dubbed her as "America's sweetheart." After later battling breast cancer, Hamill used her stardom to become a prominent breast cancer awareness activist with the hope of decreasing the amount of fatal breast cancer cases in women.
Carol Heiss Jenkins
From 1956-60, Carol Heiss Jenkins was at the top of ladies figure skating. When she was 20 years old, she had won five consecutive World Championships, four straight U.S. titles and two Olympic medals (silver, 1956 and gold, 1960). She had become the first woman to land a double Axel in competition. On March 6, 1960, Heiss Jenkins was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City, one of the few women in history to ever receive this recognition.
After retiring from competitive figure skating, Heiss Jenkins found success on the big screen, playing Snow White in the 1961 film Snow White and the Three Stooges. She also went on to coach a number of prominent figure skaters, including recent Hall of Fame inductee Timothy Goebel and two-time Japanese World champion Miki Ando.
Tenley Albright
At age 11, Tenley Albright suffered an attack of polio and started skating as a way to regain muscle strength. Since then, Albright has earned gold at the Olympics, World Championships, and North American championships — making her one of the first U.S. ladies figure skaters to gain national recognition.
However, Albright is most well known for her work in medicine. In 1961, Albright was one of five women to graduate from Harvard Medical School, and went on to become a surgeon for 23 years. Albright later became the founder and director of MIT Collaborative Initiatives, an organization established to promote the value of unique collaboration across multiple disciplines and the principles of systems thinking in solving today's complex social concerns.
