After retiring from skating, Blair had two children (son Grant and daughter Blair), worked as a motivational speaker, and wrote a book about her accomplishments, A Winning Edge (1996). For her success, Blair was named the Babe Zaharis Female Amateur Athlete of the Year and sportswoman of the Year by Sports Illustrated for 1994. The year following her return from Europe, she won the 1983 U.S. indoor speed skating championship, a title she won again in 1984. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. Blair made her Olympic debut in Sarajevo in 1984 where she finished eighth in the 500 meters. [2] The family moved to Champaign, Illinois when Bonnie was a toddler. See also Alexander Wolff, "Bonnie's Bounty: Unassuming Bonnie Blair Sped to Victory in 1,000 Meters to Become the U.S.'s Most Gilded Woman Olympian Ever," Sports Illustrated (7 Mar. Bonnie Blair generally travels from Milwaukee, WI, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances . Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair. ESPN.com: Blair is special but she doesn't know it When training in Milwaukee, she enrolled at Parkland College but did not graduate. Dec 6, 2013. Most of all, she told Karen Rosen in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution in 1998, "I'm really grateful for VCRs so I can go back and relive it. [42] As of 2014, Blair worked as a motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson. We can also contact her at bonnie.hoellein@gmail.com for more information. Encyclopedia.com. She died on 13 May 1977, in Lima, Allen, Ohio, United States, at the age of 49, and was buried in Wells Mill, Floyd, Kentucky, United States. After the 1994 Olympics, Blair continued to compete. The Champaign police department sponsored a campaign to support "Champaign Policemen's Favorite Speeder," raising $7,000 for Blair so that she could move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and practice there with other competitive skaters. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. ." New York Times (February 9, 1987): 166. After being born in Cornwall, N.Y., Blair moved with her family to the Midwest and was raised in Champaign, Ill. She took to speed skating like her older siblings. Share Memory. bonnie blair siblings Bonnie Tyler is currently 71 according to her birthdate June 08, 1951 Sun Sign Gemini Born Place Skewen, Neath, Wales Nationality Education Bonnie decided to quit school to focus on her music career. In 1986 the International Olympic Committee decided to alternate the Summer and Winter Games every two years, moving the 1996 Winter Games to 1994. [32] Blair won her second gold of the 1992 Olympics in the 1,000 meters (1:21.90). Blair won two gold medals in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and her final two Olympic gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer games. Bonnie Blair. [45] She also was Female Athlete of the Year as selected by the Associated Press in 1994. Winning doesn't always mean being first. child of innocence - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com Bonnie Blair C and 7 others. Encyclopedia.com. She also was a cheerleader and on student council. How many siblings does Bonnie Blair have? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Photos and Memories (0) Do you know Bonnie? In March 1995, shortly after winning the World Cup and setting a new world record in the 500-meter event, Blair retired from competitive speed skating. "The last lap." New York Times (February 19, 1995): section 8, p. 1. "The kids eat cereal on top of it," she told Parrish, "but it's got a heavy top, so nothing gets underneath." Sports Illustrated (February 28, 1994): 18. She also captured a bronze medal in the 1,000-meter event, becoming the only U.S. athlete to win more than one medal at Calgary. In winning the 500- and 1,000-meter speed-skating racesgiving her five career gold medals and a bronze, earned over three sets of gamesBlair proved herself to be the greatest female sprint . Blair was also the first American speed skater to win in more than one Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994). Blair, under the weather with a cough and cold, finished second in the event. Time (March 7, 1988): 69. Bonnie Blair (Speed Skater) Wiki, Biography, Age, Husband, Family, Net Margie Frances Walter Rogers . Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Bonnie Blair (born March 18, 1964), American speed skater, athlete Sports Illustrated (January 15, 1990): 92. Edwin Mosess athletic achievement is extraordinary by any standards. Looney, Douglas S. "Bring back Bonnie." Realizing that success required both dedication and sacrifice, she gave up her spot on the Centennial High School cheerleading team to focus on skating and competitions. Washington Post (January 2, 1992): D3. Speed skater Bonnie Blair started racing at the age of four and went on to be one of the fastest competitors of her time (via Britannica ). Then she went out and bettered Rothenburger's time by two hundredths of a second to win her first gold medal. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. Williams, Lena. Petruso, A. Cloud State Men's Hockey @SCSUHuskies_MH . Although she was small for a speed skater, Blairs technique was nearly flawless. Bonnie Blair Quotes - BrainyQuote [7][9], Blair made her international competitive debut at the 1984 World Sprinting Championships where she placed tenth. Lionel Blair: Veteran TV presenter and dancer dies at 92 Sports Illustrated (February 24, 1992): 18. Bonnie Blair, in full Bonnie Kathleen Blair, (born March 18, 1964, Cornwall, New York, U.S.), American speed skater who was one of the leading competitors in the sport. When the 1994 Winter Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, came around, Blair was again favored to win. Having gained five gold medals and one bronze medal in three Olympic Games, Blair became the most decorated female Winter Olympian in U.S. history. She was 16 years old when she began Olympic-style racing, which pits only two racers against each other in a competition based on time. Sports Illustrated (January 27, 1988): 236. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. She was the most decorated Winter Olympian in U.S. history when she retired in 1995. She remained connected to speed skating by serving as a coach and conducting clinics. Best. She has also made television commercials for such major corporations as McDonald's and AT&T. Bonnie Blair was married to Raymond W. Blair on May 7, 2004 in Johnson County, Texas. Her retirement from the sport, however, created a void in the talent pool of U.S. speed skaters that would be felt in the years to come. Blair lost focus for a while after the death of her father on December 25, 1989. . 1. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Ye Qiaobo was expected to challenge Bonnie Blair in Calgary's 1988 Olympic . She would win this championship every year through 1994. In the 500-meter race she won her first gold medal, defeating the defending champion by .02 seconds and setting a new world record in the process. She went on to ISU to get her degree in criminal justice. Her father, a bricklayer, died in 1914, and Emma Parker moved the family to "Cement City" in West Dallas to live closer to . Bonnie Blair Dream, Distance, Accomplishment 11 Copy quote I never could have achieved the success that I have without setting physical activity and health goals. Mother of bonnie Fay wiszniewski; Private and Private. Bonnie E Blair of Texas was born c. 1944. She was raised in Illinois, but she moved to Milwaukee to further her speed-skating career. She has been married to Dave Cruikshank since June 23, 1996. Speed skating coach Bob Fenn told Angus Phillips of Washington Post in 1992, "From a technical standpoint, she's the most efficient skater in the whole world. This is an individual sport.". Bonnie Blair | YourDictionary 1994); Steve Rushin, "Child of Innocence: Bonnie Blair Grew up with the Ideal That CompetingNot Just WinningIs Everything," Sports Illustrated (19 Dec. 1994); and Steve Rushin, "The Last Lap: After Racing to Another World Title, Bonnie Blair Leaves the U.S. [8] With her increased focus on the 1984 Olympics, Blair went to train in Europe. Sports Illustrated (February 27, 1995): 52. [26] Blair again won gold in the 500 meters, becoming the first woman to win the event in back to back Olympics, with a time of 40.33 seconds. Showing Editorial results for bonnie blair. Biography Bonne Blair began competing as a speed skater when she was four years old. Blair returned to the Olympics in 1988 competing in long-track at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. Blair was born in Cornwall, New York to Charlie and Eleanor Blair. Sporting News (February 14, 1994): S15. Blair's only disappointment was finishing 21st in the 1500 meter race. Bonnie Elaine BlaIr (1925 - 2016) - Genealogy She did not medal, but finished eighth in the 500-meter race. [19] Although Blair was four inches shorter than Enke-Kania, Blair's technique and fast start time made her a formidable competitor. Sports Illustrated (January 20, 1997): 4. Noden, Merrell. [31] Although she had won gold at the prior Olympics, Blair felt that her small stature made her an underdog against much larger East German competitors. "Child of innocence." The estimated speaking fee range to book Bonnie Blair for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Alice Blair, 86, of Tioga, an accounts processor for the Aramark Co. and a caregiver to her older siblings and neighbors, died in her sleep Dec. 17, of complications from dementia at Caring Heart Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Germantown. In 1986, Blair set her first world's record in the 500 meters. "Blades of gold." Blair won the World Sprint Championships, then retired on March 18, 1995, after the competition held on her home ice in Milwaukee.