Scott Scovell Hamilton (8/28/ 1958) is a retired American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. He won four consecutive U.S. championships (1981–1984), four consecutive World Championships (1981–1984) and a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics.Upon turning pro, he started the touring show Stars on Ice and worked as a skating commentator for television. An author as well, Hamilton has survived cancer and started the Scott Hamilton CARES Initiative in 1999. Hamilton’s signature move was a backflip, a feat that few other figure skaters could perform and is illegal in USFSA and Olympic competition, but he would include in his exhibition routines to please the crowd. Scott Hamilton was born in Toledo, Ohio and was adopted by college instructors Dorothy and Ernie Hamilton of Bowling Green. The young Hamilton suffered from Shwachman syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by limited nutrient absorption and a shorter stature. It is said that a special diet and exercise cured the problem. At the peak of his amateur career Hamilton weighed 108 pounds and was 5 feet 2.5 inches tall but eventually grew to a height of 5 feet 4 inches. In 1997, Hamilton was diagnosed with testicular cancer, from which he recovered. Years later he also faced a brain tumor diagnosis, for which he underwent surgery in 2010 and recovered again. Hamilton has also released two books, 1999s Landing It: My Life On and Off the Ice and 2009s The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (Even When You Have Every Reason to Be Miserable). He married Traci Robinson in 2002, and the couple have two children. Hamilton quote:“Everything that Ive ever been able to accomplish in skating and in life has come out of adversity and perseverance. All these things can shape you. They can give you a value and a self-esteem that is priceless.”
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 04:26:37 +0000