WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Tonia and Maddy play tourists at Niagara Falls.
communications classes also taught her how to speak slowly and clearly and think before saying something. “We had experience working in a radio
station,” Kwiatkowski said. She has also appeared on the local news
in Cleveland, most recently on a segment called Olympic Zone during the Vancouver Olympic Games. “All of that trained me for doing this
job,” she said. While she definitely keeps things posi-
s Tonia Kwiatkowski neared the con- clusion of her competitive career, which included 13 trips to the U.S. Figure Skating Champion- ships, people often talked about her age. She was 26 at her final U.S. Championships in 1998, but despite being the “old lady” of the event she competed with passion and inten- sity.
A
Her fourth-place finish did not earn her a trip to the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, but that March she got the opportunity to compete at the World Figure Skating Championships, where she finished sixth and received a standing ovation for her free skate. Over the next few years, Kwiatkowski
enjoyed a busy professional career — do- ing professional competitions, touring with Champions on Ice and performing on TV specials such as “Mannheim Steamroller: Te Christmas Angel.” In 2005, Kwiatkowski gave birth to
daughter Madison (“Maddy”) and began coaching full-time at the rink where she grew up, Winterhurst in Lakewood, Ohio, as well as at a rink in Strongsville, Ohio. She has also done commentary — she earned a college degree in communications from Baldwin- Wallace College in 1994 — most recently working for
icenetwork.com, calling the se- nior men’s and ladies events at the 2012 U.S. Championships. “It’s exciting to watch all the skaters,”
said Kwiatkowski, 41, who has worked with
icenetwork.com since 2009. She said the men in San Jose were particularly dynamic and she liked the fact that she offered com- mentary for all the skaters in the event, not just the final flight. “It’s not that hard to stay fresh because
every skater has their own style and some- thing about them that is unique,” she said. “Te one thing I like to do is keep it posi- tive for each skater as much as possible. You can have a bad day. Everyone has a skate that maybe isn’t their best. I remember what that felt like as a skater, so I try to focus on the things that are a little bit better for them.” She said her degree has been helpful in
her commentary as she’s familiar with what the technical people are talking about and she’s unfazed by directions in her ear. Her
tive, she does offer thoughts on areas where a skater can improve. In San Jose, she suggest- ed that one skater who placed all the jumps in one spot on the ice try not to do that in future programs. “When we have our production meet- ings, a lot of the discussion is that the people who watch this are educated and they enjoy skating,” she noted. “If you have a point to make, make the point, make it clearly and concisely and move onto the next thing.” Icenetwork also had her conduct skater
interviews, which was a first for Kwiatkowski. She was a little nervous, but she enjoyed the new role.
As she travels to a commentary job, especially the U.S. Championships, Kwiat- kowski admitted to a happy case of butter- flies in her stomach as well as the anticipation of seeing old friends such as Jenni Meno and Elizabeth Punsalan, fellow Cleveland natives. “My parents and my daughter came in
on Friday,” Kwiatkowski said. She’d brought Maddy to the 2011 U.S. Championships in Greensboro, N.C. “She kept asking me, ‘Mom, can I go
again with you?’ I waited until the week be- fore San Jose to tell her she was going with me. Too much anticipation is not good.” Mother and daughter skated together on the special outdoor rink. Some of the nov- ice and junior competitors were on hand and twirled Maddy around, much to her delight. In addition to coaching, Kwiatkowski also does some managerial work at the Win- terhurst and Strongsville rinks, which are now owned by the same group. Several years ago, Winterhurst had fallen into disrepair. Te new owners fixed up the facility beau- tifully. She said she loves coaching — her students range from recreational skaters to competitors — and teaching gives her a great sense of satisfaction. “Working hard with the kids and when they accomplish passing a test or doing well at a competition, I love seeing their excite- ment and the appreciation for the sport,” she said. “I enjoy giving back to the sport.” Kwiatkowski, who grew up when com-
pulsory figures were still part of competitions, admits teaching good basic skating skills is a challenge. Kids don’t get the edge-awareness figures provided and they skate fewer hours per week.
“I try to work on stroking as much as
possible,” she said. “Tere’s a power strok- ing class I encourage them to take. Some of the kids do dance and that helps. I suggest they skate an extra hour a week. Don’t get a lesson, just go and skate and practice what you’ve learned. It’s hard to get that balance of basic skating skills. Some skaters find it easier than others and some are willing to work at it more than others.”
When taking her skaters to competi-
tions, Kwiatkowski describes herself as “pret- ty calm.”
“I get nervous for them, but I try not
to show it,” she said. “You know you worked hard with them. Tey still have to do it.” Kwiatkowski remains close with her former coach, Carol Heiss Jenkins, who also teaches at Winterhurst. Tey have somewhat different schedules, so they aren’t always at the rink at the same time, but when their paths cross they catch up on recent events. Maddy, 7, enjoys skating, but hasn’t decided whether she wants to pursue it se- riously. She took learn-to-skate classes for a while, but once she felt confident on skates said she wasn’t interested in lessons. “She’ll walk into the rink one day and
say, ‘I want to skate today.’ She’ll put her skates on and skate for an hour or two and have a great time,” Kwiatkowski said. “Next time we go to the rink I’ll ask, ‘Do you want to skate today?’ She’ll say, ‘No, I just want to hang out in the lobby.’ “She likes to skate, but not seriously. Tat could change and if it does that’s fine. I want her to find something that she enjoys doing. If that’s skating, great. If it’s some- thing different, then that’s great, too.” Maddy also takes gymnastics and tennis
lessons. Skating does come in handy during school skating outings, where she takes plea- sure in helping out her less-skilled friends. Kwiatkowski, who is divorced, makes spending time with Maddy her priority. “I pick her up at school every day I have
her. She goes with her dad a couple times a week,” Kwiatkowski said. “I make sure I’m there to do homework and get her a snack and have some dinner. I make sure she has all her projects done and has fun time, too, and play dates. “My parents do help me tremendously,”
she added. “Te challenges are making sure that I try to be there for her as much as pos- sible while still working.” As for her own on-ice time, Kwiat-
kowski said she doesn’t really have a yen to perform, but she does try her best to stay in shape. She tries to move around on the ice as much as possible. She also hits the local rec center for a cardio interval class. “I got Maddy a dog for her fifth birth-
day, a Yorkiepoo. We go for walks every day,” she said. “Running around with my daughter keeps me in the best shape.”
SKATING 9
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