Friday, September 20, 2019

Kathy Casey Inspired Me to Become a Fighter, Speak Out, and Also Forgive

Kathy Casey Shows Off Her Many Ice Skating Sweaters That She Loved to Wear


The ice skating world has recently lost Olympic and World figure skating coach Kathy Casey.  Since her passing, I have thought a lot about how she impacted my life.  

I was never one of Kathy Casey's students, but in 1974, just before I competed in my first US National Championships in ice dancing, Kathy came into my life.  Later, long after I retired from competitive skating, when I was coaching skating in Colorado Springs, she again came into my life.  Our latter interaction affected me greatly.  Kathy Casey never knew how she inspired me to become a fighter, speak out, and also forgive, but she did all three of those things.

To sum things up, when Kathy was the Director of Skating at the old Broadmoor World Arena and then later on director at the newer Colorado Springs World Arena (now called the Ice Hall at The Broadmoor World Arena), her job was so hard that she had to become very tough. The tough side of her caused me to decide to fight her and speak out about something she and I did not agree with.  For a time, the two of us were in conflict.

I did not "win" in that conflict with Kathy and as time passed, both of us moved on.  I continued to fight and speak out about other causes not just in skating.

Years later, I wrote and published an article about Kathy Casey that highlighted her skating and coaching accomplishments.  Perhaps that article caused both of us to forgive one another and even be friends.  This story of reconciliation and forgiveness has shaped my life until this day.

In recent years Kathy Casey always had something nice to say to me and complimented my three children's skating accomplishments.  Every time I saw her she had a smile on her face and looked so happy.  She also looked so pretty in the skating sweaters she loved to wear.

Rest in peace, Kathy Casey.  You impacted so many!




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