2013 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
I said, ‘Why don’t you be my coach?’ I really needed that kind of support.” Now, in that 1996 moment
seemingly frozen in time, the two are inseparable, as they are in life. “Laura raised me like a moth-
er, sister and a best friend. We’re so close, it’s hard to explain,” he said. Today, Galindo, 43, coaches in San Jose. Among his students is
Emma Hedican, the daughter of Ya- maguchi and husband Brett Hedican. “Being a coach is so reward-
ing,” Galindo, 43, said. “Every day is something different, be it learning a new jump or a life lesson. I love taking them to a competition, from being there at the very beginning to seeing them stand in first place atop the podium.”
Galindo is also a pioneer in the
gay community. He was open about his sexuality well before his 1996 championship, making him one of the first high-profile athletes to pub- licly identify as gay. Galindo, who has been HIV-positive since 2001, said he still recieves posts on his Facebook page thanking him for being a role model.
Galindo, who was inducted
into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, admittedly was dis- appointed that he was not elected to the Class of 2012, which was in- ducted in San Jose. “I lost three times before, so I was kind of keeping this one low key,” he said. “But I couldn’t be happier. I sincerely want to thank all the voters.”
CNichol’s talents know no bounds by BARB REICHERT
horeographer has a bevy of champions to her credit In Lori Nichol’s world, there
are no borders. Te Canadian-born choreographer spent her youth in the United States but returned to Canada to raise her family. “It’s what my life is: I’m both Canadian and America,” Nichol said. “I’ve been living between two worlds all my life and I love it.” Nichol’s skills appear to know
no bounds, having designed pro- grams that have earned eight Olym- pic and 30 World medals. In be- tween, there are seemingly countless ISU medalists and national medal- ists of all kind. It’s no wonder that Nichol, 49, has been elected to the Class of 2013 for both the U.S. Fig- ure Skating Hall of Fame and Skate Canada Hall of Fame. Nichol, who joins Rudy Galin-
do as the newest member of the U.S. hall, credits what she calls her “amazing fortune” to have skated as a child at the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society. “To this day I feel so blessed
to have grown up there,” she said. “I have an extreme amount of grat- itude for my training. My first main competitive coach was Don Laws, then Carlo Fassi and Pieter Kollen. Ten as a professional, I got to learn from Frank [Carroll]. It just doesn’t get any better than that!” Nichol met Carroll when he called her to work with a then 11-year-old Michelle Kwan in 1992.
“It was the beginning of me
finding out I can do this,” she said. “Frank was instrumental. I was very nervous, asking myself, ‘do I have the talent to just do choreography and leave coaching behind?’ It was very challenging.” Carroll, Kwan and Nichol
SKATING 19
teamed up for a long run of suc- cesses, starting with Kwan’s break- through 1996 “Salome” program. Tat year, Kwan earned U.S. and World titles, the first of her illustri- ous career. “I really respected Michelle for the courage she showed to take that and win Worlds,” Nichol said. “When she decided in her mind to do it, she did. She always had a good head on her shoulders. She always had a sense of direction. Tat was very calming to be around.” Nichol worked with Kwan and
Carroll until January 2001. During that period Kwan won the 1998 Olympic silver medal, four World titles (1996, ’98, 2000, ’01), two World silver medals (1997, ’99), and five U.S. titles (1996, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’01). In her career, the Amer- ican skater earned 43 major cham- pionships, including five World championships, nine U.S. titles and two Olympic medals. Among Nichol’s three Olym- pic champions is Evan Lysacek, who
struck gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
“Lori Nichol has been so in-
strumental in my success,” Lysacek said after learning of her election to the hall of fame. “Her genius is not only in her creativity, but also in her perspective. Lori has truly changed the sport of figure skating and what choreography means to it.” Nichol, who
choreographed
Lysacek’s 2013 programs, said she truly enjoys working with him. “Evan has an incessant drive to better himself,” she said. “Tat kind of devotion – to the sport, his coaches, everyone around him – has been amazing and rare. With him, it’s a real team effort. He shows such respect.”
And in Nichol’s world, respect
goes all the way back to her begin- ning.
“Tis award, to me, belongs to
everyone who helped me develop my passion. It may have my name on it, but it really belongs to all of them.”
Lori Nichol’s Olympic medalists 1998: Michelle Kwan (USA), silver 2002: Timothy Goebel (USA), bronze 2002: Jamie Sale and David Pelletier (CAN), gold
2002: Michelle Kwan (USA), bronze 2006: Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo (CHN), bronze
2010: Evan Lysacek (USA), gold 2010: Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo (CHN), gold
2010: Joannie Rochette (CAN), bronze Choreographer Lori Nichol joins Evan Lysacek and coach Frank Carroll while they await the final scores at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES
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