It's a familiar and gratifying story, the football or basketball or baseball player who grew up in a single parent household, making his way to athletic stardom with the help of his family or friends or mentors and coaches.
In honor of the upcoming United States Figure Skating Championships, here, compiled with the aid of Figure Skating Universe, is a list of some of the many American champion skaters who were either adopted or grew up in non-traditional families. Italicized names or titles indicate links to videos.
United States Champion Nicole Bobek, is known for her elegant spiral.
Adopted through the same agency, but not biologically related, brother and sister Peter and Kitty Carruthers won Olympic silver in pairs.
One half of the beloved World Champion pairs team, Babilonia and Gardner, Randy Gardner learned as an adult that he was adopted.
Multiple National and World Champion, as well as Olympic gold medalist, Scott Hamilton is an adoptee and with his wife the parent of two adopted children.
World Junior Champion Ann Patrice McDonough was adopted from Korea, as was pairs skater Erika Smith. Young and upcoming skater Brynne McIssac was adopted from China and pairs skater Max Settlage from Vietnam.
Along with pairs partner Marcy Hinzmann, Aaron Parchem was a U.S. bronze medalist and proud Olympian.
Reigning U.S. champion Adam Rippon's parents divorced when he was a young teenager.
World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist Debi Thomas left skating to become a doctor.
Brought up by a single mother, skater Rohene Ward has become best known for his work as a choreographer, including the iconic Riverdance freeskate performed by Jason Brown.
No one is born with the ability to land a triple axel. Figure skating is a sport based on the combination of strength, grace, hard work and helping hands, the very same qualities that growing up in any environment requires.
