Mabel Fairbanks
Mabel Fairbanks | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Born | Florida |
November 14, 1915
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Burbank, California |
Coach | Maribel Vinson Owen Howard Nicholson |
Mabel Fairbanks (November 14, 1915 – September 29, 2001) was an American figure skater and coach. She was inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame, as the first African-American, and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.
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Early life
Of African-American and Seminole descent, Mabel Fairbanks was born on November 14, 1915 in Florida's Everglades.[1]:{{{3}}}[2]:{{{3}}} She had a sister, Pearl, who was younger by a year,[1]:{{{3}}} and an elder brother.[3]:{{{3}}}
Fairbanks never met her father and was orphaned at the age of eight when her mother died.[3]:{{{3}}} After staying with a teacher who treated her like a "maid," she joined her brother in New York but his wife did not accept her.[3]:{{{3}}} A wealthy woman saw her sleeping on a park bench and offered her a job as a babysitter at a home overlooking Central Park.[1]:{{{3}}}
Career
Fairbanks began figure skating around 1925 to 1928.[4]:{{{3}}} After observing children at the Central Park ice rink, Fairbanks bought herself used skates, which were two sizes too big, and went to join them.[1]:{{{3}}} She said, "Blacks didn't skate there. But it was a public place, so I just carried on."[2]:{{{3}}} She later practiced on a 6ft by 6ft rink constructed by her uncle in her room.[2]:{{{3}}} She gained further inspiration after seeing Sonja Henie in the 1936 film One in a Million.[4]:{{{3}}}
In the 1930s, Fairbanks, due to her race, was denied access to the local rink by the cashier but she kept returning until the manager admitted her.[4]:{{{3}}} Maribel Vinson Owen and Howard Nicholson provided her with technical advice.[4]:{{{3}}} Fairbanks was not allowed to compete in the national qualifying event for the Olympics or any competition.[2]:{{{3}}} In a 1998 interview, she said, "If I had gone to the Olympics and become a star, I would not be who I am today."[3]:{{{3}}}
Fairbanks performed in shows in New York until the 1940s.[5]:{{{3}}}[1]:{{{3}}} After relocating to Los Angeles, she toured internationally, skating with Ice Capades in Mexico and later with Ice Follies.[2]:{{{3}}}
Fairbanks coached singles and pairs, including Tiffany Chin, Billy Chapel, Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi / Rudy Galindo, Tai Babilonia / Randy Gardner, Leslie Robinson, Michelle McCladdie, Richard Ewell, Debbi Thomas, Atoy Wilson, and Jean Yuna.[3]:{{{3}}}[6]:{{{3}}}[7]:{{{3}}} She also taught skating to the children of many celebrities.[3]:{{{3}}} In 1997, she became the first African American inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame.[1]:{{{3}}} She was inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame in October 2001.[8]:{{{3}}}[9]:{{{3}}}
Personal life
Fairbanks never married.[1]:{{{3}}} She was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis in 1997[3]:{{{3}}} and with acute leukemia in mid-2001.[1]:{{{3}}} She died on September 29, 2001 at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California.[1]:{{{3}}}[2]:{{{3}}}[10]:{{{3}}} She is interred in the ground at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood, California. Her grave is right at the beginning of the bridge to the Clark Mausoleum.
References
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- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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