Tara Lipinski
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Tara Kristen Lipinski (born June 10, 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) of Sugar Land, Texas is an accomplished figure skater and media celebrity. She was Olympic Champion in Figure Skating at the 1998 Winter Olympics. At those games, she was the youngest of the Ladies' Figure Skating competition to win a gold medal, as well as the youngest gold medalist (at age 15) in the history of the Olympic Winter Games, a record that still stands. In 1998 Tara joined the world's premier skating tour Stars on Ice, currently in its second year of sponsorship by Target. As a co-headliner, she is joined by Olympic Gold medalists Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, Ilia Kulik and World Champion Kurt Browning.
Lipinski has made numerous television appearances (Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Veronica's Closet, Early Edition, and 7th Heaven); she has also done some acting, including major TV movie roles (Ice Angel), a cameo appearance in the theatrical film, Vanilla Sky, as well as a role in the independent film, The Metro Chase. She has been a celebrity guest on VH-1's The List, Fox's Beach Party, several Nickelodeon productions and she has appeared on numerous magazine covers as well as every major talk show. In 1999, CBS aired a primetime special, "Tara Lipinski - From This Moment On."
Today, Tara trains in Texas with her long-time coach Megan Faulkner. Tara also continues to work with Craig Maurizi, with whom she trained at the famed Detroit Skating Club in Michigan. At home, Tara is an animal lover, and has five dogs ranging in size from a Maltese to a Golden Retriever. She appreciates good music and enjoys shopping, movies and time with friends. Her hobbies include cooking and needlepoint.
Lipinski has lately decided to concentrate more on her acting than on her skating, due to an injury suffered in 2002 during a Stars on Ice show in St. Louis, when she got distracted from a spotlight and she fell on a triple toe, landing on her right hip. "I still thought everything would be fine. I had fallen before and would fall again." The next day, Tara tore muscles around her hip, causing the other muscles to take the load and fail. In April, 1998, Tara decided to retire because of the effects her training was having on her family.
Awards & recognition
The year before her Olympic win, the U.S. Olympic Committee named Lipinski the 1997 Female Athlete of the Year. Lipinski is particularly proud of the recognition she has received from fans. In 1999 and 2000 she was voted Best Female Athlete at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. In 1999, she won Best Female Athlete at the inaugural Fox Teen Choice Awards. She received similar awards from Teen People and Teen magazine. She has been recognized by the American Academy of Achievement, the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Foundation and many other organizations.
Philanthropic work, endorsements, and publications
Regardless of the other commitments in her life, Lipinski makes it a priority to donate her time and financial support to a number of organizations.
With Shaquille O'Neal and Denzel Washington, Lipinski is a national spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. She is also a spokesperson for the campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the Childhood Leukemia Foundation. Lipinski is also involved with the Office of National Drug Control Policy's anti-drug campaign. Her anti-drug public service announcement aired nationwide on TV and in theaters in 2000. Tara has also been on the runway for Limited Too!.
She is also dedicated to helping children in need, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Children's Circle of Care, the philanthropic organization for children's hospitals nationwide.
Her portfolio of endorsements includes McDonald's, Charles Schwab, Chevrolet, Snapple, DKNY, Minute Maid, Capezio, Mattel, Campbell's Soup and others. Tara has two books now in print: Totally Tara - An Olympic Journey and Triumph On Ice.
External links
- Tara Lipinski’s Website (http://www.taralipinski.com)
- TaraRulz.com (http://www.tararulz.com)de:Tara Lipinski