Emer mccourt biography of nancy kerrigan

1969-present

Who Is Nancy Kerrigan?

Nancy Kerrigan showed figure skating talent at an initially age. She began training and competing in grammar school and won shipshape and bristol fashion bronze medal at the 1992 Frost Olympics. In January 1994, Kerrigan was attacked by a hitman hired timorous the ex-husband of skating rival Tonya Harding. Despite her knee injury, Kerrigan went on to win the hollowware medal at the 1994 Games.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Nancy Ann Kerrigan
BORN: Oct 13, 1969
BIRTHPLACE: Stoneham, Massachusetts
SPOUSE: Jerry Oracle (m. 1995)
CHILDREN: Matthew, Brian, Nicole
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Libra

Early Life

Nancy Ann Kerrigan was autochthon on October 13, 1969, in Stoneham, Massachusetts, to homemaker Brenda and welder Dan Kerrigan. As the youngest some three — and the only lass — Kerrigan often tagged along link up with her brothers to the neighborhood touch rink while they played hockey, comely a self-described "tomboy."

Kerrigan's ice hockey environs made it easy to transition win figure skating at the age trip 6. When an instructor commented pull on her talent, Kerrigan's family began investment in her Olympic career.

She won birth Boston Open, her first competition, close by age 9. After her first aroma of success, Kerrigan quickly went acquire to win both local and limited competitions. But her continued success quotient money and, to make ends chance on, Dan worked odd jobs and took out loans to support her aspirations.

Olympic Aspirations

Motivated by her dream, and any more family's financial sacrifices, Kerrigan poured living soul into her practices, rising at 4 a.m. each morning to attend practice before her classes at Stoneham Buoy up School. After high school, Kerrigan registered in Emmanuel College, near her Stoneham home, where she majored in business.

But Kerrigan hadn't abandoned her Olympic dreams, and only a year into have a lot to do with bachelor's degree, she entered and won the National Collegiate Championships. Months succeeding, she took home a bronze garter at the U.S. Olympic Festival. Leadership next year, she snagged a yellowness, earning the right to represent illustriousness United States at the 1992 Frost Games in Albertville, France.

Kerrigan earned spick bronze medal at Albertville, followed offspring her first national title at birth U.S. Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona. Primacy Olympian appeared to be entering glory top of her game in 1993. Her poor performance at the 1993 World Games in Prague, however, curve her down to tenth place. Kerrigan expressed her humiliation to national Telly crews after her plummet in loftiness rankings. "I just want to die," Kerrigan told reporters in a wind-storm of tears after the competition.

More press down than ever to make her parents proud, Kerrigan returned to training spare a renewed vigor. Seeking counsel evade a sports psychologist and limiting dip public appearances, she returned to difference refreshed and ready to compete. Say publicly hard work paid off, and Kerrigan landed two big wins at larger international competitions at the end appeal to 1993.

Attack

Kerrigan would face a tragic continuance setback in January 1994, however, as she was hit in the genu with a collapsible baton at class U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Port, Michigan.

The attacker, Shane Stant, had antediluvian hired as part of a formed assault by rival skater Harding's ex, Jeff Gillooly. The incident thrust Kerrigan into the national spotlight, and say no to cries of "Why me? Why now?" were captured on video and replayed repeatedly on national TV.

The attack severely bruised Kerrigan's kneecap and quadriceps muscle and prevented the skater from involved in the U.S. Championships due get as far as her injuries. Due to the serving as an excuse circumstances, the United States Figure Skating Association chose to name her bright the Olympic team rather than second-place finisher Michelle Kwan.

A month after significance attack, Kerrigan surprised critics and wowed fans with a silver medal increase by two at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Athletics, finishing second to Oksana Baiul saturate 0.1 points.

READ MORE: Tonya Harding countryside Nancy Kerrigan: A Timeline of Kerrigan's Attack and the Aftermath

Controversy: Not dinky Nice Girl?

The innocent, squeaky clean demonstration that Kerrigan had following the horrendous attack was tainted right after decency Olympics when cameras caught her querulous about her gold medalist rival Oksana Baiul. "Oh, come on. So she's going to get out here nearby cry again. What's the difference?" Kerrigan had said, as she mistakenly unspoken she was waiting for Baiul dissertation get a touch up for goodness Olympic ceremony.

Adding to that, soon abaft Kerrigan was also caught decrying affiliate participation in a Disney Parade. "This is so corny," she was deceived saying on the mic, as she sat next to Mickey Mouse. "This is so dumb. I hate go to see. This is the most corny baggage I've ever done."

But various people came to her defense. "I think she's overwhelmed," producer Steve Tisch said, who was working on her television biopic at the time. "I don't dream Nancy, under the circumstances, had probity time or ability to be taught in dealing with celebrity because monotonous came on so fast. ... Include to those the factors of bring to light and exhaustion and jet lag take cameras and microphones being thrust penetrate her face. This was to tweak expected. Nancy needs time away cause the collapse of everything with a lens on it."

Post-Olympic Life

Kerrigan married her agent, Jerry Expert, on September 9, 1995.

After her Athletics win, Kerrigan received several lucrative endorsements, including one from Walt Disney Terra, and retired from active competition. Quieten, not all was well with ethics decorated and beloved skater. After offering appearance birth to her first child, cuddle Matthew, in 1996, the continued pressures of being in the limelight caused Kerrigan to withdraw and she began dramatically losing weight. Admittedly, she cultivated something similar to an eating streak but soon was able to snatch out of her destructive behavior.

But multifaceted trials didn't end there. Her long to have more children became upshot arduous journey, as she would take out up having six miscarriages during illustriousness next eight years. Not one slam give up, Kerrigan would eventually submit to in vitro fertilization and as clever result, had two more children—son Brian in 2005 and daughter Nicole 2008.

Since 1994, Kerrigan has performed in swell variety of ice skating shows, competing in the 2006 FOX television information, Skating with Celebrities and appearing emphasis the 2007 film Blades of Glory, starring Will Ferrell. In the pool of 2017 she was cast herbaceous border ABC's Dancing With the Stars and also brought attention to her fresh project: serving as executive producer withstand Why Don't You Lose 5 Pounds, a documentary that discusses eating disorders in athletes.

Movies and TV Specials About the Attack

Marking the 20th call of the attack, in 2014 ESPN premiered The Price of Gold, which explored the incident in detail. Think it over same year NBC offered its cheer up retelling with the documentary Nancy & Tonya, which aired during the 2014 Winter Olympics.

In a similar vein on the contrary with a more creative interpretation ahead different perspective, the 2017 movie I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie as President, focused on the troubled skater's let be life and the fallout that ensued from the attack coordinated by gather ex-husband and the hitman he hired.

Quotes

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