"This is my turn to fly across the ice."

These words ran through Stan Kimer's mind as he skated to center ice at the 2023 U.S. Adult Championships in Salt Lake City. By the end of the event, he had captured the adult bronze lyrical pop–character–comedic showcase gold medal — a milestone made even more remarkable by the unconventional path that brought him there.
 
Unlike most skaters who begin the sport as children, Kimer's skating journey began once he retired from his corporate career. After retiring from IBM at age 55, he started attending the U.S. Championships and other major competitions as a fan. Sitting in the first few rows, he found himself captivated by the athleticism, artistry and camaraderie on the ice.

 
"As I continued to attend events and build friendships with the skaters, I saw how much joy they got out of skating and decided that I needed to get off the couch and start skating myself," he said.
 
At age 59, Kimer — who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and represents the Central Carolina Skating Club and Triangle Figure Skating Club — signed up for the Dorothy Hamill Adult Fantasy Figure Skating Camp, though he had never skated before. In a moment of bold humor, he announced on Facebook that he intended to become a competitive adult skater, posting the news on April 1, 2014.
 
The path to becoming a competitive athlete was not an easy one. One judge failed him on four consecutive tests, but another judge noticed Kimer's enthusiasm.
 
"She remarked that she could see the joy in my skating, and it encouraged her to continue judging," he said.
 
That joy carried him forward. Seven years after stepping onto the ice for the first time, he qualified for the 2023 U.S. Adult Championships — and won.
 
Kimer's impact extends far beyond the rink. A longtime champion for LGBTQ+ equality, he began his advocacy work in 1999 while serving as a marketing brand manager at IBM. He later became the company's global LGBT program manager. When he retired in 2010, Kimer formed his consultancy and continues to provide diversity training to his clients.
 
His advocacy naturally found its way into his skating.
 
"A few years ago, I developed a comedic showcase program called 'Totally Gay' that I performed when U.S. Figure Skating National Showcase was held in Florida, the state with its well-known 'Don't Say Gay' legislation," Kimer said. Before the performance, he arranged for a colleague to hand out small progress flags — the updated rainbow flag — along with a guide explaining its colors and symbols.

Kimer also supports some of the country's top skaters who use their platforms for visibility.
 
"My adult skating colleague Dan Molino and I have handed [three-time U.S. champion] Amber Glenn the pride flag at the U.S. nationals medal ceremony each year," Kimer said.
 
For Kimer, visibility is essential.
 
"It is important for everyone to know that LGBTQ+ people are fully human and equal to everyone else, and need to be treated with total respect," he said. "Oppressed LGBTQ+ people here and around the world need to see other LGBTQ+ people living exciting and fulfilling lives."
             
The adult skating world has embraced Kimer as both a competitor and a leader.
 
"It truly is a community for me," he said. "As adult skaters, we all share this common bond of participating in a difficult and, at times, a dangerous sport. Each year when we compete at U.S. Adult nationals, it's like a huge family reunion."
 
Fellow skaters agree, including his longtime friend Amy Hayashimoto LaReau.
             
"Stan's interest and dedication to skating is awesomely inspiring to the entire adult skating community," Hayashimoto LaReau said. "One can really see Stan's eyes sparkle with delight when someone asks him about skating."
 
Lala Van Camp, who first met Kimer at the Dorothy Hamill Adult Fantasy Figure Skating Camp, added, "I have never seen anyone that works as much and as hard as Stan does on the ice."
 
She also witnessed his advocacy firsthand.  
 
"Stan does programs that promote the LGBTQ+ and they have been embraced by our skating community," she said. "He has been involved in promoting the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in churches outside of the U.S. and Europe. He has also worked with non-profit organizations and works hard at spreading the word about inclusion."
 
At age 71, Kimer isn't slowing down any time soon. His enduring passion for skating, paired with a drive to broaden the sport's inclusivity, remains the force behind everything he does.
 
"Nothing brings me as much joy as skating," Kimer said. "It is the one thing I can do where I am completely in the moment and all other cares of the world dissipate."