Encyclopedia.com. We can also contact her at bonnie.hoellein@gmail.com for more information. Blair, whose stage and screen career spanned eight decades, died early on Thursday morning. See also Alexander Wolff, "Bonnie's Bounty: Unassuming Bonnie Blair Sped to Victory in 1,000 Meters to Become the U.S.'s Most Gilded Woman Olympian Ever," Sports Illustrated (7 Mar. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. Blair has also been involved in the American Brain Tumor Association's efforts to combat this little-understood disease; in 1987, Blair's brother Rob was diagnosed with brain cancer that was deemed terminal. Background Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, United States; the youngest of six children. At the beginning of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Blair again took the spotlight when she became the last torchbearer on the Wisconsin segment of the Olympic torch run in January. For Blair, a skater in the prime of her career, the new schedule was an opportunity to try again for Olympic gold. 47 No. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). "The kids eat cereal on top of it," she told Parrish, "but it's got a heavy top, so nothing gets underneath." [32] Blair won her second gold of the 1992 Olympics in the 1,000 meters (1:21.90). Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. The Blair Bunch was back even stronger at the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, with about 45 members swaying in unison in their purple team jackets and singing "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." Professionally, Charlie Blair was an engineer while Eleanor Blair worked in real estate. "Blair, Bonnie bonnie blair siblingsmeadowglen lane apartments. ." [7], She is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. She won five gold medals and one bronze over her career. Margie Frances Walter Rogers . Bonnie Kathleen Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in the Hudson River town of Cornwall, New York, and grew up in Champaign, Illinois. [2][3] To end the games, Blair was chosen to carry the American flag at the closing ceremonies. After this, at the age of 31, she felt she was ready to retire from competitive skating. By those 10 1/2 inches, 23-year-old Bonnie Blair did what Mary Lou Retton didn't have the chance to do in gymnastics at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles: defeat the world's best. Four of her siblings would hold speedskating titles. Her life has been a furious blur of flashing blades,. [36], The 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, were another success for Blair: She again won gold in the 500 meters (39.25) and 1,000 meters (1:18.74)[35] races. Rushin, Steve. Bonnie died wearing a wedding ringbut it wasn't Clyde's. Six days before turning 16, Bonnie married high school classmate Roy Thornton. Her stellar performance at the 1992 Olympics also earned Blair the Sullivan Award as the Best Amateur Athlete in the United States. [1] Her godmother is Canadian speed skater Cathy Priestner. Blair wanted to continue to train for the 1984 Olympics and beyond, but had problems getting funding for her training. . "I just thought it was the right time," she said of her retirement to Blair was touched by the adulations of the crowd, saying that she had never heard any group of spectators cheer so hard for her. Sporting News (February 14, 1994): S15. "Retiring at Top Speed." Still Blair changed her training a bit. [3] She participated in her first skating meet at age 4. Bonnie Kathleen Blair is the most decorated woman in Winter Olympic history. She received 5 gold medals and one bronze over her profession. Bonnie Blairwas raised in Champaign, Illinois. American speed skater Bonnie Blairwas born on the 18 March 1953in Cornwall, New Yorkto Eleanor and Charlie Blair. Search instead in Creative? Bonnie Blair C and 7 others. [5]:44, Blair again competed at Olympics in 1992, this time held in Albertville, France. Denver Rocky Mountain News (February 15, 2002): 23S. I'm definitely going to miss hearing the sound of that gun. ", Blair competed as a speed skater one more season following her last Olympic win. Blair was born in Cornwall, New York to Charlie and Eleanor Blair. Bonnie Parker has 2 siblings, a brother, and a sister. Sports Illustrated (January 15, 1990): 92. [2] The family moved to Champaign, Illinois when Bonnie was a toddler. Blair's introduction to competitive skating was as a pack racer on short tracks where she competed against many people in one race. Bonnie was born March 18, 1964. "Bonnie Blair," HickokSports.com, http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/blairbon.shtml (March 10, 2003). One of Blair's most influential coaches was Cathy Priestner (later known as Cathy Priestner-Allinger when she married Todd Allinger in 1986). Bonnie Blair owns a time-share in the international spotlight: She gets it for two weeks every Olympiad, and then they ask her to leave. . In 2021, Blair spoke out in opposition to allowing male-to-female transgender athletes to participate in organized athletics.[54]. Born December 29, 1911, in Hopkins County, KY, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Monroe Dockery and Thurman Fox Dockery. I don't see any torture in this at all.". During the Olympics, Blair was given the nickname "Bonnie the Blur." Janofsky, Michael. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. It's just you.". 9 August 1914-21 December 1983 (Age 69) Letcher, Kentucky, United States. Bonnie Blair Dream, Distance, Accomplishment 11 Copy quote I never could have achieved the success that I have without setting physical activity and health goals. Sports Illustrated for Women, February 2002. She won gold at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. The . Blair also won the World Cup points championship 11 times. When she was attending Centennial High School, she competed in track and field events, including 100 meter to 800 meter races, long jump, and triple jump. After the Albertville games ended, Blair again took the opportunity created by her celebrity. However, the date of retrieval is often important. The coaching switch took place ten months before the 1992 Olympics. Sports Illustrated (March 7, 1988): 50. Discover Bonnie Blair's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. [21][22] Blair was considered a stronger competitor in the shorter distances, where she was seen as the United States' best chance at a gold medal in speed skating. [50] The pair married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1996. Blair was the only American to win two medals at these games, and was given the honor of carrying the American flag at the closing ceremonies. Training remained her focus, however. 1. Blair won two gold medals in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and her final two Olympic gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer games. Bonnie Blair, 92, of Dawson Springs, KY, died Friday, January 9, 2004, at 7:13 A.M., at her residence. From 1986 to 1988 at the World Sprint Championships, Blair finished second once and third twice. Encyclopedia of World Biography. [1] The U.S. failed to win any speed skating medals at the 1984 Olympics. login . [32] Blair's gold made her the most decorated U.S. woman in Winter Olympics of all time. "Blair, Bonnie ." Encyclopedia.com. . In December, Blair Cruikshank competed at the USA Speedskating Long Track National Championships in Utah. She was raised in Illinois, but she moved to Milwaukee to further her speed-skating career. Sports Illustrated (February 7, 1994): 90. It was an expensive undertaking, but with the help of her family, friends, and money from the Champaign police department, Blair was able to go. Olympic speed skating competitions were conducted differently. [27] Blair also took a break from skating, enrolling in Montana Technological University. ." Bonnie worked at the Sleezer Home in Freeport until retirement in 2016. After being born in Cornwall, N.Y., Blair moved with her family to the Midwest and was raised in Champaign, Ill. She took to speed skating like her older siblings. Sports Illustrated named Blair their Sportswoman of the Year for 1994. 5 What actress portrayed. A year later she twice set a world record for the 500-metre event on the standard circuit. By the time she was in grade school, speed skating had become her number-one leisure activity. Immediate Family: Daughter of ALONZA LONNIE RATLIFF and MAUDE RATLIFF. Cycling became part of Blair's speed skating training as both sports utilized the same muscle groups. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. She won a number of races as a child, including the Illinois state championship when she was seven. The Olympic style favored Blair's small stature and emphasis on technique. Following her retirement from competitive skating, Blair remained extremely active, both in her sport and outside of it. She lived in Whitesburg, Letcher, Kentucky, United States for about 10 . Scottish-born prime minister of Great Britain British politician and Prime Minister Tony Blair represented a new era in Parliament and made major changes to the Labour Party along the way. She holds five gold medals, for the 500-meter and 1,000-meter events, as well as a bronze medal for the 1,000-meter event. Family (1) Spouse Dave Cruikshank (23 June 1996 - present) (2 children) Trivia (4) Inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004. . Bonnie Blair President: V B S, INC: Ste 105-148, Gilbert, AZ 85297 3733 E Janelle Ct, Gilbert, AZ 85297: Bonnie Blair President, Chief Executive Officer: Happy Helpers Inc Help Supply Services: 137 N Main St, Fairport, NY 14450 54 West Ave, Ste 2, Fairport, NY 14450 (585) 425-2680: Bonnie B. Blair Principal: Bonnie Blair Massage Misc Personal . She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. "That's not to say I didn't have other great memories," she told Paula Parrish in the Rocky Mountain News, "but I think that had the biggest impact." Rushin, Steve. Bonnie Blair. By the time Blair was fifteen, she decided to make speed skating her sole sport, training in a vigilant and dedicated fashion. Blair told Shannon Brownlee of Sports Illustrated, "Skating is a joy. Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. [11] Blair had not been not considered a front-runner and later recalled she was happy just to be at the games and see her family in the stands. private siblings' names; private children's names (1) spouse's name and marriage information; [17], During this time, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track. Time (March 7, 1988): 69. Blair later credited her husband's continuing involvement in the sport with helping her to make the transition from competition to civilian life. The estimated speaking fee range to book Bonnie Blair for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. American speed skater Looney, Douglas S. "Bring back Bonnie." All of Blair's two sisters and three brothers speed skated competitively because of their father. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. Though Blair briefly considered not competing in the 1992 games, she told Douglas S. Looney of Sports Illustrated, "Skating has always been a pleasure and a joy. At the 1984 Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), she could finish no better than eighth in the 500-metre event. She made her competitive cycling debut in June 1989 at the Sundance Juice Sparkler Grand Prix. (February 23, 2023). The victories led to more endorsements, and even more important to Blair, the popularity of speed skating. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. bonnie blair siblings. She ran wherever her coach decided he was missing a bodyon the long jump, high jump, short distances, and relays. [5]:44 The breathing problem lingered through the 1991 World Sprint Championships where she finished fifth. Wolff, Alexander. She won the 500 meters with a time of 39.1 seconds and the 1000 meters with a time of 1:18.74. World class track-and-field athlete This sensational run made Blair the top gold medalist at the festival. Washington Post (January 2, 1992): D3. There she won her first Olympic gold medal in the 500 meters and a bronze medal in the 1,000 meter. "Whooosh!." She won the 1986 short-track world championship. Photos and Memories (0) Do you know Bonnie? [5]:45 After the Olympics, Blair moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to train at the newly opened Pettit International Ice Center. Blair finished 0.36 seconds ahead of the second best time in the 500 meters. People Photos Purpose. New York Times (February 9, 1987): 166. She began training with Cathy Priestner, who had won a silver medal in speed skating for Canada in the 1976 games, at the University of Illinois rink. Perhaps one of the most decorated and honored female athletes of the twentieth century, Bonnie's accomplishments are extensive. Updates? Cruikshank had skated in four Olympics by 1998, and he narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. team for the 2002 Olympics. The experience strengthened her determination to become an Olympian. Blair would in later years recall that first Olympic gold medal victory as the high point of her career. To win the 500-meter event, Blair beat Chinese skater Ye Qiaobo by 18 hundredths of a second. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. At the time, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track speed skating. Priestner had Blair train in the Olympic style on both short and long-track races. They saw Blair win two more golds. Having gained five gold medals and one bronze medal in three Olympic Games, Blair became the most decorated female Winter Olympian in U.S. history. How many siblings did bonnie Parker have? Longman, Jere. She also won two gold medals at the '92 . Address: c/o 306 White Pine Rd., Delafield, WI 53018-1124. As a teenager Blair began to take the sport more seriously. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. Encyclopedia.com. Johnson, Anne Janette. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. She was so small at the time that her parents could not find skates that fit her, so she had to wear shoes under her skates. She used a low crouch and had a solid stroke. Her final, record-breaking time for the 500-meter sprint was 38.99 seconds. http://www.imperialoil.ca/thisis/publications/review/2001q4 (January 5, 2003). Bonnie (Blair) Roos. Also in 1984, Blair competed at the Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.