She is now engaged to Jamie Loonie and they have two children together, residing in southwest Virginia. According to a February 2016 online article in The Washington Post, she had declared bankruptcy, let her medical license expire, and was living with her fianc in a trailer in rural southern Virginia (see Miscellaneous links). She is the 1986 World champion, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 'I'm facing probably nine years of study - it's like starting skating all over again,' she said. Bud Greenspan's Favorite Stories of Winter Olympic Glory, The Official 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics Video, Herself / American Figure Skater Bronze Medalist. As it turned out, after landing on both feet after the second triple jump, she did not care whether she recovered. Governors and Prime ministers Other She was previously married to Christopher Bequette and Brian Vanden Hogen. I now hear about the notoriety of our newest gymnastic star, Ms. Biles, and I hope and pray that she is never subjected to those same attitudes. Around that time, the father of a patient asked her out. Join Facebook to connect with Brian Hogan and others you may know. That same year, Thomas earned the top spot at the World Championships. Thomas went on to become a practicing orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. | Photo: GettyImages. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000. She felt that people were going to hate her.. The song is on album Underneath, by The Verve Pipe. It may look [to] people on the outside like its insane, but I dont care, Debi told the New York Post in 2018. Thats not what I needed to hear, she said. Deborah Janine Thomas, daughter of McKinley Thomas and Janice Skelton, was born in 1967. The band recorded two independent albums I've Suffered A Head Injury and Pop Smear. To speak further of her accomplishments as a figure skater, Debi won the Bronze Medal at the Winter Olympics in Calgary 1988, after which she retired from amateur figure skating, but participated in professional events, including the World Professional Championships in 1988, which she won as a part of the Stars On Ice skating group. She was the first athlete since Tenley Albright in the 1950s to win those titles while attending college. It was a fall greater than any she had ever taken on the ice, this fall from grace. Who is Sean Hannity's da Northwestern University, Stanford University, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. In 2000, Debi Thomas was inducted into the U.S. She again blamed her coach, Alex McGowan, saying that he distracted her with his remarks before she went onto the ice. She is the spokeswoman for their reading campaign. School was my way of getting away from things. Join Facebook to connect with Brian Vanden Hogen and others you may know. https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/28/sports/marriage-for-thomas.html. After looking forward for so long to participating in the Olympics, she said that she was not able to enjoy it once she was there. He eventually quit and started the band Johnny with an Eye with his brother, Brad Vander Ark. However, she wouldnt last more than a year in that or any other institution because she was difficult to work with. Thomas said she has to go back home and work hard for her exams, so she can enter medical school. Debi Thomas at the U. S. Figure Skating Championships, Kansas City, Missouri, January 31, 1985 | Photo: GettyImages, My mother introduced me to many different things, and figure skating was one of them, Debi told ABC Sports. Login Less forgivable was the fact that Thomas, whose greatest attribute besides her athleticism was her competitiveness, all but quit on the ice, going through the motions after it became apparent to her that she was not at her best. In June 2005, she graduated from the Orthopedic Residency Program at Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles. She would bounce back at the World Championships, and finished in second place behind Katarina Witt. She became the only woman to reach the top 22 of the Q score athlete standings, and was later inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame. I wouldnt do it again because I already did it once, she said. Brian Vanden Hogen - Director Project, Operations & Facilities Consultant - HVH Group Pty Ltd | LinkedIn View Brian Vanden Hogen's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional. 1997), who currently plays defensive tackle for Boston . He told me, Do it for America. I thought, What does America have to do with this? Im the one who skated all those hours. Brian Vanden Hogen was previously married to Debi Thomas (1988 - 1991). Strong ability to adapt to complex . She did two surgical residencies, one at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital and one at the Charles Drew University Medical Center in South Central Los Angeles. Vander Ark also composed the musical scores for Dead & Breakfast and Unearthed. The following year she suffered an injury, but still competed, and finished second at the World Championships held in Cincinnati, which also contributed to her net worth. Takin selfies with friends and new friends at #WOFLovedTour pic.twitter.com/kMCdLTxlUt, Debi Thomas (@Orthodeb) October 10, 2015, Posted by Debi Thomas onWednesday, November 2, 2016, In 1986, Thomas won the US National and World Championships, culminating in her being awarded Athlete of the Year from Wide World of Sports, the first female athlete to win while still attending college full-time, since Tenley Albright during the 1950s. Right after graduation, she began working as an orthopedic surgeon, most notably for the ORTHO X-cellence Debra J. Thomas in Richlands, Virginia, which initially increased her net worth, but unfortunately the facility closed in 2014, and there is no record of her working since that point. But Ogden said they turned down some offers and are still entertaining others. Thomas, of San Jose, Calif., came in third in the final standings of the women's event Saturday. Brian Van der Hoeven (Only RP Spanish) See Photos Brian Hogan See Photos Brian Hogan See Photos Loading more results. During her career she won numerous prestigious competitions, and became one of the best figure skaters of all time, for which she was inducted into the Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000. Facebook gives people the. Thomas has resumed her pre-med studies at Stanford. His first husband was Brian Vander Hogen (1988-96), then she was married to sports attorney Chris Bequette (1996-98), with whom she has a son. '', See the article in its original context from. The first African-American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics (1988). In 2016, Brian released an album of story songs with actor/songwriter Jeff Daniels. Inducted into the U.S. As an indication of the rift between Thomas and McGowan, she did not tell him, even though he was preparing her for the world championships in Budapest a month after the Olympics. He said that he did not change; Thomas did. I told him that I was really bored with skating, and he said, How can you not be excited about this? By the time I got to the Olympics, I was burned out.. So, have you ever wondered how rich Debi Thomas is? For her personal life, it is known that Thomas married Brian Vander Hogen in 1988 but their marriage ended in divorce. Human Capital/Human Resources leader with strong experience as both an internal HR business partner and an external human capital consultant to senior leaders. Thomas said she barely remembers the awards ceremony. Here I was at the Olympics, and I didnt feel like I was at the Olympics, she said. Months before the Olympics, Thomas debated whether she should try it so soon into her routine. ''I did not want this news to detract from my focus on the world championships,'' Thomas said. On the show, Iyanla Vanzant slammed Debi for losing the custody of her then-13 years old son, while raising Looneys two boys. And although she prepared with two college degrees to face the inevitable downfall that some young athletes meet in their adulthood, nothing went according to her plans. Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. She was one of the first female skaters to ever complete a triple toe-triple toe combination during the 1980s. Critics arent satisfied, Olympic snowboarders accuse USOPC, national federation of sex trafficking in lawsuit, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Yet more rain expected to hit California in March. BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Former world figure skating champion Debi Thomas married two weeks ago and kept the news a secret - even from her coach. Debra Janine Thomas was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1967. Ever since her second marriage, Debi Thomas has been residing in Terre Haute, Indiana and is a practicing physician in the same city. Geneagraphie - Families all over the world : Reigning Deposed Extinct. Debis coach knew she had talent, but instead of quitting school to dedicate one hundred percent to skating like other young athletes, Debi transferred to a high school that was closer to a skating rink in Redwood City, California. Was for many years an orthopedic surgeon in Little Rock, Arkansas. Currently, she is engaged toJamie Looney, and she adopted his two sons. Graduated from Northwestern Medical School (1997), Graduated from Stanford University with a degree in engineering, On the cover of Time magazine (February 15, 1988). The names, logos, and other source identifying features of newspapers depicted in our database are the trademarks of their respective owners, and our use of newspaper content in the public domain or by private agreement does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement from, the publishers of the newspaper titles that appear on our site. It was the biggest mess Ive ever made, but some people still tell me they think I should have won, she said. I am thrilled.''. She moved in with Jamie into his trailer, filed bankruptcy, and let her medical license expire. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. After Ms. Thomas won her bronze medal at the Olympic games, I attended a workshop on leadership styles. More about Her Life, Maddie Brown Shares Her Postpartum Journey Weeks after Giving Birth to Third Child, Jamie Lee Curtis Admits 'Saying Goodbye' to James Corden Was Harder than She Thought as His Show Ends, Florence Griffith-Joyner's Husband Al Found Her Lifeless in Their Bedroom & Tried to Revive Her by Himself, Are Madison Chock & Evan Bates Married? She was in shock, Ogden said. All Rights Reserved. That medal I dont even put it out. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Northwestern University, Stanford University, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. However, when Debi got tired of jumping from job to job and decided to open her practice in Richlands, Virginia, she moved by herself and left her husband and son behind. Inducted into the U.S. My coach really felt that if he could get me out there alone, away from school, that I would be like a robot and do whatever he wanted, she said. She was 19. Even though she gave them a reason not to in Calgary, people still seem to like her. She was a champion of the underprivileged, which she did not mind so much because it allowed her mother to take some credit. 3 followers 3 connections Even though she said that she wanted to be known as a skater, not as a black skater, she could not deny that she felt responsibility as a role model. Man, if that one skate goes differently for her at the 1988 Olympics her whole life would have been dramatically different. The couple resides in sout-west Virginia in what is rumoured to be a somewhat difficult relationship. People feel now that they can touch her.. BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Former world figure skating champion Debi Thomas married two weeks ago and kept the news a secret - even from her coach. For her, everything had to be done with excellence.. https://www.facebook.com/Debi-Thomas-81725206663/, https://www.instagram.com/thomasdebi/?hl=en, Where is figure skater Dorothy Hamill today? I wanted the Olympics to be the performance of my life, Thomas said. In 2012, Debi and Jamie had a discussion at the trailer, and she took his gun and fired it to the ground outside. Are Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue Dating? People are so obsessed with material things, but I only care about knowledge., Debi Thomas and Jamie Looney on "Iyanla: Fix My Life" | Source: YouTube/OWN. Until the Olympic year. The truth is, she said, she did not lose the gold medal that night. The following year her advancement in the sport was hampered, as she battled with Achilles tendinitis in both ankles, leading her to struggle at the US Nationals.Image source. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. Her rivalry with East Germany's Katarina Witt at the 1988 Calgary Olympics was known as the Battle of the Carmens. Later in the year, she was given the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Candace Award for Trailblazing. If Diet Pepsi wants me, Im here.. I went for the opening ceremony, then went back home for a week to train. Get this The Des Moines Register page for free from Wednesday, March 30, 1988 band By JULIE HUTCHINSON 1988 Knight-Ridder Newspapers " DENVER, COLO. - They hugged so hard you could almost hear . I didnt really care if I won or not. After winning a number of youth competitions, Thomas caught the eye of coach Alex . I am thrilled.'. Music [ edit] Ark joined the band His Boy Elroy as a guitarist. He guided her career through to the Olympics. In 1991 she graduated from Stanford University with a degree in engineering. Thanks to her mother, Debi started training in figure skating, and she was inspired by the ice skating show Mr. Frick. In the year since, Thomas, 21, has developed a less than flattering reputation within the figure skating world. Basically, I got to see two hockey games. The couple also has a son from the wedlock by the name of Christopher Jules who was born in 1997. However, during the competition, some mistakes saw her finish with the bronze medal. She lost it months before, when she discovered that she no longer was receiving the same satisfaction from skating as she had in the past. However, when the big day came at the Olympics, Debi didnt give her best, something that she admitted years later. I wish both of these wonderful women the best of luck in their lives. Her only deal is with MacMillan books. Relationships Brian Vanden Hogen was previously married to Debi Thomas (1988 - 1991). In February 1986, she took the senior women's title at the U.S. That rating was taken before the Summer Olympics. The first black skater to win a U.S. Debi first stepped into a skating rink at age 5, curious about the art of skating after going with her mother to an ice show. Olympian mentality is rough because you just get frustrated with how everybody does everything, Debi explained of her behavior. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. By age nine, she was taking formal lessons and winning competitions. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Her agent, Jay Ogden of the International Management Group, said that is the reason she seemed so distant during the awards ceremony. She later married Chris Bequette, a sports attorney in 1996, and they had a son before divorcing. Debi Thomas is a 55 year old American Skater. 1. Debi became the first black athlete to win any medal at the Winter Olympics, and she then won the World Professional Championships, and again two years after that. I begged my mom to let me start skating.. ''I just want to get on with my life. How tall is Kristopher London? No longer an amateur, Thomas said she might consult McGowan at times in future. Press Esc to cancel. Mental illness may sometimes happen, anyway, but I do think that, sometimes, it is deliberately fostered by the challenges and rejection that racist assumptions heap on young athletes of color. The two met at the University of Colorado when Thomas. She admitted that she gave up during her performance, saying that she lost her motivation only seconds into her routine when she failed to complete her most difficult trick, consecutive triple jumps. I think a lot of Americans, including her coach put a lot of pressure on her. [when?] Debis business inexperience and the fact that she chose a less populated town to open her first practice, soon led her to fall behind with her bills as she struggled to make end meets. Debi ended up winning the bronze medal, coming behind Germanys Katarina Witt and Canadas Elizabeth Manley. Debi Thomas and Brian Vanden Hogen were married for 2 years. During the championships Thomas said she had trouble concentrating. Born Debra Janine Thomas on 25th March, 1967 in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States, she is famous for She is the 1986 World champion and 1988 Olympic bronze . The two met at the University of Colorado when Thomas moved there last year to train. 101 Followers, 175 Following, 14 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Brian Vanden Hogen (@bvandenhogen) If you prefer to keep it private, She was unable to keep the practice going, and soon after, bills started to mount. She finally decided that even if she missed, she would have plenty of time to recover. As of mid-2018, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $20,000, earned mostly through success in professional figure skating, and from her work as a physician, however, divorces and working in relatively poverty-stricken areas as a physician have limited the size of her bank account. Brian Vander Ark is an American singer-songwriter best known as lead singer for the band The Verve Pipe . I would go home and do nothing. Her mother drove over 100 miles a day for four years so Debi could practice and then be back at home to do her schoolwork. Afterwards Thomas earned an engineering degree at Stanford and then attended medical school at Northwestern University in Illinois and became a physician. The gold medal within her grasp, needing only good, not great, scores to win the long program at the Olympic Saddledome and finish ahead of defending champion Katarina Witt of East Germany and Elizabeth Manley of Canada, Thomas gave a disappointing performance and finished third. "Never Let You Down," the lead single from the band's 2001 album, Underneath, was one of the Top 50 Most Played songs for Adult Top 40 and Modern A/C radio in 2001. And continued: I dont care about living in a trailer. Her weight is estimated to be around 53 kg. In the end I think Debi, as well as the rest of us learn some really valuable life lessons, especially through hardship. Brian Vander Ark released his first solo album, Resurrection, in May 2003. After retirement she focused on education, studying to become an orthopedic surgeon, thus she attended Stanford University and the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He has also appeared in several independent films, including director Matthew Leutwyler's Road Kill, Dead and Breakfast, and Unearthed. Select this result to view Brian J Hogan's phone number, address, and more. Debi Thomas on the Empowered Patient Series | Source: YouTube/AHIMAonDEMAND. Before divorcing, they had a son named Christopher Jules "Luc" Bequette (b. She answered all of them. They divorced. He eventually quit and started the band Johnny with an Eye with his brother, Brad Vander Ark. Debi Thomas spent her childhood with her brother in San Jose, California and she was raised by a single mother, as her parents divorced when she was a young girl; both of her parents were computer programming analysts. Thomas, who celebrated her 21st birthday Friday, was married on March 15 in Boulder, Colo., to Brian Vanden Hogen, who turned 23 that day. On March 15, 1988 Debi Thomas married, Brian Vander Hogen in Boulder, Colorado. She said that he convinced her to drop out of Stanford last winter, move to Boulder, Colo., and devote all of her energy to preparing for the Olympics. Speaking about her personal life, Debi Thomas has been married twice. Thomas started skating at the age of five. Debi graduated from Northwestern in 1997 and continued her medical training to become an orthopedic surgeon with a residency at Charles Drew University Medical Center in Los Angeles. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. In figure skating, the underprivileged are all those whose parents earn less than six figures each year.
