MEMORIALS PENDING FOR ICE SKATING LEGEND.Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer BURBANK - A memorial service is pending for former figure skater and coach Mabel Fairbanks Mabel Fairbanks (November 14, 1916-October 2001) was an African-American figure skater and later a coach of pairs skaters Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, Leslie Robinson and Michelle McCladdie as well as individual skaters Atoy Wilson, Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, Rudy , who died in Burbank on Saturday after a long illness. She was 85. During her 60-year career in figure skating figure skating Sport in which ice skaters, singly or in pairs, perform various jumps, spins, and footwork. The figure skate blade has a special serrated toe pick, or toe rake, at the front. , Fairbanks helped to break down segregation in the sport and in 1997 became the first African-American woman to be inducted into the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. Figure Skating Association Hall of Fame. She will be inducted posthumously into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 15 by the Women's Sports Foundation The Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) "is a charitable educational organization dedicated to ensuring equal access to participation and leadership opportunities for all girls and women in sports and fitness. . Fairbanks is credited with bringing together Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, the world champion pairs team. Figure skaters who benefited from her advice and coaching include the skating pair Richard Ewell and Michelle Mcladdie along with soloists Debi Thomas, Tiffany Chin, Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, Rudy Galindo, Leslie Robinson and Atoy Wilson. Fairbanks was born Nov. 14, 1915, in the Florida Everglades region. She learned to ice-skate while growing up in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . She moved to Hollywood in 1940 and pursued a skating career, touring throughout the United States and Latin America. She appeared on television specials and in a range of ice shows. Fairbanks, who lived in Burbank, is survived by her sister, Pearl Fisher, and a nephew, Alan Fisher. |
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