A review by imyourmausoleum
A Skating Life: My Story by Deborah Amelon, Dorothy Hamill

informative medium-paced

3.0

 Dorothy Hamill was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1956. She began ice skating at age 8, quickly developing a love for the sport and showing talent for it. Her parents spent an extraordinary amount of money on her training, as she had to travel away from home for periods of time to train. She won the novice ladies' title at the U.S. Championships at the age of 12. Hamill eventually became the United States Champion from 1974 to 1976. She won silver medals in both the 1974 and 1975 World Championships, before winning the gold in 1976. She was part of the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics team, where she won gold in the Ladies Single. Hamill went on to skate in Ice Capades and Broadway on Ice, despite physical injuries and illnesses.

I love figure skating, and recall fond memories watching skating with my Mom. I have seen Hamill skate a few times on television in special programs, and have always enjoyed her commentary and her mentorship to other skaters. As someone who struggles with mental health issues, it is nice to see someone that was able to work on their mental health and achieve wonderful things be a source of encouragement and advice to other people with similar struggles. Though this is an older book, I enjoyed it.