#figureskatingchampion

How fun to sit down with a young old friend and catch up after a long pandemic pause. Olympian, Tai Babilonia, is as beautiful, luminescent, gracious, inspiring, perseverant, focused, and fun as she ever was. The World Figure Skating Champion, and 5x U.S. Figure Skating Champion, was as fearless in retelling milestones in her life as she was living them. From great triumphs to heartbreaks, big and small, Tai’s acceptance of her lot, no matter what, no doubt helped carry her from one victory to the next. Her gratitude for her good fortune, her love, and respect for her parents, her brother, and her son are admirable and enviable.

We talked about Tai’s journey on the ice––thank God for Mabel Fairbanks who took a very young Tai and forced her hand into Randy Gardners––beautiful story there bookmarked with the pages being written with loving care, overseen by Tai and Randy to honor her. From the ’76 Olympics to the 5 US Championships, to being only the 2nd Americans to win the World Championship, to the nightmare that ended their Olympic dreams in ’80, starring in the Ice Capades and working feverishly in the years following… the toll it took, the drinking, the bottom, sobriety, back out there, more drinking, her marriage, her beloved son, her engagement to David Brenner, insights there into her and him, two stories - Bill Cosby and Chris Botti, and the strength in her sobriety that stuck, a show at the forum that led to coaching Jack Nicholson’s daughter and then Denzel’s. No name dropper she, this is all just part of her glamorous story. There’s so much humanity, and hard truth here to balance it. 

Conversing with Tai feels like coming home… comfortable, effortless, warm, and affectionate. I loved every second.