How You Became a Sarah Fan
(3-4-02) Christopher
I saw Sarah for
the first time either in '98 or '99 when she was sort
of going from junior to a more senior level of
skating. I think what really got me besides the fact
that she's a local kid from our wonderful tri-state
area was that she had such a "joie de vive" and truly
evoked a joyfullness in both her personality and her
skating that I don't think I've seen in the last 10-15
years. She practically makes you want to go out and
try it yourself! It was a really beautiful
transformation to see her go from the straight-haired
kid with the braces still on her teeth during those
first couple of years to such a gorgeous young lady
with a whole new look (even though the new look itself
went through several variations)! And now, the rest of
the world knows what I've known all along. Sarah's a
champ on and off the ice, and she'd still be a champ
to me, with or without a medal.
(3-4-02) Jon
I've tried to be a distant fan for a number of years,
but it wasn't until I read of copy of Time which
featured Sarah on the cover, and after reading the
related story that I became a real fan. Going into the
Olympics I just hoped and prayed that she'd knock off
the top seated stars. And she did!
(3-4-02) Margaret
I am a Sr. citizen and the first time I saw Sarah skate I wondered what she was doing there? She seemed so out of place and so young but boy did I get fooled. I have thoroughly enjoyed her and I am so proud of her for winning the Gold. Michelle Kwan has received so many undeserving marks that I was afraid Sarah was going to give up but she kept fighting and won the Gold. By the way, I like her coach too.
(3-3-02) Joseph
I had seen Sarah skate a couple of times before the Olympics but didn't really become a fan until her incredible performance in the long program. I'm from New England and I should have learned my lesson after writing off the Patriots before the football season started. I almost didn't watch the finals because I expected Michelle Kwan to win. What a wonderful night for Sarah, Robin and Sarah's family. I've been a skating fan since watching Torvill and Dean in the 1980's and until this year my favorite Olympic comeback was Elizabeth Manley winning the silver (in 1988?). Her September 11th tribute in the exhibition was fantastic and from her post-Olympics interviews you can see Sarah is a class act off the ice as well.
(3-3-02) Ed
Hi, I'm Ed. It took all of four minutes for me to become a fan of Sarah's.
No, make that five. I'll explain why in a moment. I missed the ladies
short program on Tuesday evening. I knew the standings
(Michelle-Irina-Sasha-Sarah) coming into the long program. I had sort of
admired young Sasha ever since her becoming phone buddies with Mr Bush
during the opening ceremonies. So I didn't want to miss her skating her
long program. I tuned in, in time for the final group of ladies. I was not
overly impressed with the first few skaters, but certainly had a sense of
the tremendous pressure that is on all of them at the Olympics. Then Sarah
took the ice. Jump after jump, she nailed them, and the other aspects of
the program were smooth as well. She completed her required five triples
beautifully. So I settled into watching the rest of a graceful program.
When she did that late triple-triple (nailed them again!), I was absolutely
amazed, and I knew something special was happening when I heard Scott's
reaction to it on the air. As she finished her program, even though I was
sitting by myself, I broke into applause and shouting, along with the rest
of the crowd at the ice center. My heart was touched by her own amazement
at the program she had just skated. Then I watched as the center went wild
and threw flowers and stuffed animals and who knows what else onto the ice
in appreciation of the history she had just treated them to. That was the
fifth minute I added above. By the time Sarah reached the edge of the ice
and her coach said, "I love you," I did too, just like the rest of America.
Sarah, the Olympics, and this nation, needed what you gave us in those few
minutes. We shall forever be different because of what you did for us on
February 21, 2002. This grateful American thanks you from the bottom of his
heart.
(3-3-02) Sean
Hi, I'm Sean and I'm a 17-year old senior at Lindenhurst High School on Long
Island. I became a Sarah fan during the Olympics. I was on vacation in
Killington, and while I was watching hockey and other Olympic stuff at
night, I channel surfed and came upon the Long Program. Now since Sarah's a
local girl, and even though at the time I had zero respect for figure
skating, I decided to watch the performance. And I was in awe... her
performance was terrific. She helped me grow to respect figure skating.
But later when I saw her face, I fell in love with her at that instant. She
has some of the prettiest eyes I've ever seen. And I got to see in the
interviews afterward how sweet and funny she is. And the fact that she's a
Ranger fan... that helps a lot too. So now I have a huge crush on her, and
I would love to take her to my senior prom this year... even though I guess
there is little chance of that happening. But I can dream :o).
(3-3-02) Jordan
My name is Jordan, I live in the UK and like Sarah I am also 16. I have
been following Sarah whenever she has been on TV here, since the 2000 Worlds
when she finished 5th and I was truly pleased that she finished 3rd in the
2001 Worlds. I admit that apart from her skill, I only noticed her because
of her looks, but in retrospect it was a good person to choose. I have been
following her a little on the web, as Figure Skating is not very big over
here. Since there is a time difference between Utah and the UK, I only saw
the rerun of the Short Program later the next day, where I thought Sarah had
been marked harshly compared with Irina Slutskaya, and deserved to be higher
than the 4th place she was in. I decided that I would tape Free Program,
but I found out the result from my parents, who saw the Final in Salt Lake,
before I could see the tape. I was unbelievably happy, that at the age of
only 16, she had beaten two very experienced Skaters in Michelle and Irina.
She was graceful, skilled and elegant in both her programs, and in the Free
Program did not put a single blade wrong throughout. She excepted her award
with grace and dignity, and she put skating back where it belonged after the
whole Skategate saga, that dominated the games. Her performance in the
Exhibition was superb, and her tribute to the sadness of September 11th was
not a show of tacky Nationalism, but a show of one person’s hope for the
future. I hope she does brilliantly in Nagano, and that she shows even more
people what a brilliant talent she is (and I hope they show it here in the
UK!). Her talent is superb, and I hope she keeps at it! Well done and long
may it continue.
(3-3-02) Steve
My name is Steve. I first became a fan of Sarahas when I saw her win gold. I thaught any one that can skate that well under pressure I should watch more often. It also helps that shes gorgeous.
(3-2-02) Sister Mary John
I became a Sarah fan in January. I felt sorry for her, in January, but you can't win everything. During the Olympics, I actually prayed that Sarah would get the Gold. She is very graceful the way she skates along with throwing in the jumps. So my Prayer worked w/ Tara and Sarah. I'm not putting Michelle down, she skates well too. However I'm not a real fan of hers. The same thing in 1998 I actually prayed for Tara to win, and she did. Plus, Tara and Sarah rhyme which is neat too. Sarah, keep up the great work! God bless you all!
(3-2-02) Ada
Hi. My name is Ada I. and I am 10 years old. Ever since I was 8 I was a fan of hers. I hope i'll be like her someday. I have pictures all over the wall of her!
(3-2-02) Debby
Hi, My name is Debby Regan. I decided to root for Sarah while watching the Women's Nationals on television because she was from Great Neck, and my husband is from Queens. But then I really started to like her skating, and she seemed like such a nice, real person that I wanted her to do well. By the time of the Olympics, I was already a fan.
I really only expected her to get the bronze, and I had my fingers crossed about that! But her long program was magical, and now all Americans can be proud of their gold medalist.
(3-1-02) LiLDrE7o
Salt Lake Olympics. It's Thursday night. Long program- women's figure skating. I watched as Sarah Hughes stepped out on to the ice and gave it her all. She didn't expect a gold medal. No one blew her out of proportion like the media was doing to Michelle Kwan. She skated with poise, enthusiasm, and to put on an overall flawless performance. Hell, I'm not even a fan of figure skating, but I am a fan of the Olympics. I have terrific admiration and respect for her. She's also one of the most attractive looking skaters out there, but then again thats just my 16-year-old hormones acting up.
(3-1-02) Ben
Being 16, It's hard to
imagine being in the shoes of one of Sarah's classmates. For Great Neck, it came true. I just thought it was really neat
that someone my age can have so much influence on the world. After all, it's
not common that a teenage guy is going to be very interested in ladies figure
skating. Sarah really drew me in. I think she looks really graceful and
beatiful on the ice. No, that doesn't mean I think she's hot, and I don't get
all lusty, because it's really something totally different. It's not often
that people my age can think this way about a peer of the opposite sex.
(3-1-02) Yoji
My name is Yoji . I am 17 years old and I am Japanese . Like Tim , I became
a Sarah fan while watching her free program during the Olympics . Her
skating moved me . Since there will be the world championship in Japan in
March , I wish Sarah to win the championship .
(2-28-02) Troy
My name is Troy. I am 36 years old and I bacame fan
over last summer when I began watching figure skating
each and every weekend. I immediately chose Sarah as
the skater to watch and I had a feeling that great
things were going to happen for her. After she won the
Gold Medal at Skate Canada by beating both Michelle
Kwan and Irina Slutskaya in November, I became very
hopeful that she would do very well at the Olympics. I
did however become concerned when Sasha Cohen beat her
at the US Nationals. I was also concerned when she was
in fourth place after her short program, and blamed it
all on her youthfulness and her nervousness. But then,
the magic exploded in the long program. She shed off
all of her nervousness because she didn't think she
had a chance and simply took the ice by storm. She
amazed the world and herself. I am so proud of Sarah
and her accomplishments that I feel that she now
serves as a role model for all of us, young or old.
She is simply amazing and she always makes me smile.
Thank you, Sarah!
(2-28-02) Peter
I first became aware of Sara Hughes during the 2000 Nationals. Here was a
strong field of skaters emerging to take their place alongside Michelle Kwan
as the premier ladies team in the world. While Michelle was simply
Michelle, I was intrigued by these new faces - Angela Nikodinov, Sasha
Cohen, and of course Sarah.
While young, and just coming into her own on the senior tour, I saw a
quality that spoke to the legacy of Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming.
Michelle Kwan has the legacy of a Kristi Yamaguchi or Roslyn Sumners - the
strong willed determination of a champion that states "I am the best."
Sarah has the quiet elegance that asks you to look at the beauty and art of
the skating, to feel the emotion of the performance, and asks you to look in
your heart and ask "am I your champion?" The only answer is YES!
I am so elated to see the success earned by Sarah Hughes. May Sarah
continue to bring us the joy of experiencing her spirited and graceful
performances, and wear the title of Olympic Champion with honor and pride.
(2-28-02) Tim
I became a Sarah fan while watching her long program during the Olympics. I
mentioned to my wife that it always seems that pressure is the biggest
difficulty when skating. I have watched many programs where high pressure
meant significant mistakes. How incredible it was to witness such perfection
on the ice. I am such a fan of great performances and Sarah delivered. There
is nothing more exciting than watching someone rise to the occasion!
Afterward I found myself surfing on E-Bay for Sarah memories and was almost
tempted to spend a few thousand dollars for her autographed skate that was
being auctioned by Olympic-aid. Instead, I thought it would be great to see
her skate live. It seems that Sarah will be part of Champions on Ice, a sort
of Olympic tour. I ran out and got tickets and now I am counting down the
days to the event. For a moment in time, Sarah sparked our emotions and
hearts while helping us forget our daily troubles and struggles. What more
could you ask for?
(2-27-02) Blanche
I have been a Sarah Fan for a couple of years now .
When she skated the short program ,I said OH NO ..The other skaters skated there short...Sarah is in Fourth ..
My husband and I went out to dinner.He kknew I was nervious over the long program ..I said she is in forth ,I know she can do it ( But needed a good long program .) Well there she is on the Ice I was shaking ..She looked gorgous,and very confident .She skated a clean and elegant number ..She is so gracious ...I said she DID IT !!!!!
I just knew that was it .I should have bet my husband ...I knew all the other skaters had to skate ,Michelle had an off night and so did Irina .
Sasha I wasn't worried about..She is not one of my favorites...Now they are giving the scores of Irina,,,I said Oh My Lord she did it...I have never in all my years of skating seen anything like this ..It was such a pleasure to witness this performance and the excitment of Sarah abd her long time coach ...Sarah is one the world can be proud of ...I forgot to mention how beautiful she looked .What a Night For Sarah ...
(2-27-02) John
My name is John Jensen. I am a 17 year old in 11th grade at Rosemount High School, and I live in Rosemount, Minnesota. I live maybe fifteen minutes away from the Mall of America. I became a Sarah fan when I watched her skate in the short program. And that is when I fell in love with her. I think she was the best skater the night she won the gold and she didn't just win a gold medal. She won my heart too. I thought it was great to hear she wants to get a 1600 on her SAT. It's good to know she isn't just beautiful but also smart. I myself plan to take the ACT and the SAT. I'm not sure whether I might go out east for college or not. I plan on going to an Ivy League school if I do go out east.
(2-27-02) Mark
I am 49 and i became a sarah hughes fan when i watched the olympics. I
like stories
of people who come out of nowhere to win. The people of New York needed
someone
to take thier minds of sept.11. i wish Sarah well as she competes for the
world
championship in Japan. I also wish her well on this olympic skating tour
this spring and summer.
(2-27-02) Naama
Sarah Hughes is a great skater but at these Olympics the most popular/fan favorite was Michelle Kwan. After Sarah skated her short program she came in 4th place and wasn't expecting a GOLD medal. i thought Sarah's attitude going into the Olympics was the best out of all the medal contenders. all the others were like i want to go in to win the gold medal and follow my dreams, but Sarah went in thinking i just want to have fun and where ever i place is good for me. after Sarah skated her long program with two triple-triples I knew that she had done her personal best. After the other medal contenders skated I knew Sarah had skated the best and it was ALL up to the judges. I think Sarah won because she had the best attitude and she REALLY did skate the best of the tops. I'm REALLY happy for her.
(2-27-02) Sean
I am 13 and I first became a Sarah fan when I watched her skate in her long program during the Olympics. I have never seen someone skate so well, especially at the games. Now I have a huge crush on her and most of my friends know it. Sarah is someone that I will always remember an will always want to meet.
(2-27-02) Lisa
I never knew who Sarah Hughes was until I saw her skate in the long program. I only caught the last of the skaters in the short program, so I missed seeing her. When I saw her smile when she came out, I was captivated by her! I can always feel myself tense up when I see some of these other skaters jump - especially on Michelle's jump when she fell - I could see her coming in tilted and closed my eyes because I knew she was going to fall. But I never felt like that when I watched Sarah get ready to jump. She looked so relaxed and I was transfixed...I couldn't take my eyes off her. She looks like a happy person, and so carefree, and it was so wonderful to see her win the gold. Sarah made me happy that night too!
(2-27-02) Sune
Hi! I'm a man, age 26, who lives in Denmark. I never really been
interested in skating on ice. But Sarah did make my heart and mind go
spin. I missed the short prgram - sad but true ;-) But I saw the rest of
her performance. It was fantastic. Then I saw the show which were
dedicated to the memorarial of september the 11th, I had a tear in my eyes.
I never seen anything like that. Congratulations US with this shinning
star - You shall be proud. Hope to see a lot more of her in the future to
come.
(2-27-02) Kevin
I'm a 30 y.o. musician in Manhattan and only a precious fleeting few times in the almost 20-yr practice of my art have I hit that fleeting moment of effortless execution -- some sort of state of Grace -- wherein the right movements come easily and you are just simply In the Moment which is simultaneously fleeting and eternal. I wasn't really mindful of Sarah until I saw her obviously hit that very "state of Grace" for the entire duration of her routine that fateful Thursday. It was an exhibition of pure elation, pure Joy, perfect execution of Form and Movement. The light she cast over the whole arena certainly couldn't be contained or diminished by television! It reached out all over the world. She burned with a pure blue-white flame of vitality and vivaciousness, flight and freedom that her competitors simply just lacked. Terms like "fire" and "electricity" have been used to describe it; these are more than just metaphors. Her performance charged me up and stirred my heart, mind, and soul (and still does, just thinking about it a week later)! Sarah has been to the top of the mountain now and serves as a bona fide Inspiration; what is now also obvious is that she *earned* that sacred experience, through years of focus, practice, and no doubt a willingness to get back up when she falls, but with a lightness and gracefulness that I'm sure few of her peers or predecessors managed. I admire Sarah as being a true Champion. What life could be like, if we all went about our fields of endeavor as Sarah does hers! I have been inspired again to do so. Thank you Sarah and all who support her!
(2-26-02) Sabine
I had always loved skating, its one of my favorite parts of the olimpic
games. I really liked Sasha Cowen, and I had hoped that she would do
well. But never before had my opinion be flipped by a performance as
riviting as that of Sarah Hughes. I loved her right away. I saw her
smile and was soooooo happy for her! When the other skaters fell, i was
sorry for them but my happiness for sarah overwhelmed that! She was
beautiful, artistic, smooth, gorgeous! She really deserved
gold!!!!!!!!!!!
(2-26-02) Chris
I became a fan of Ms. Hughes during the two day Ladies program at Salt Lake
City. I admit that I am not a fan of figure skating, but something in me
just wanted to watch. Then Ms. Hughes came on ice. I expected just a
regular piece of music to come from the speakers. I was floored when I
heard the Bach-Gounod version of Ave Maria, since it is a piece of music
that is near and dear to my heart. I have played the violin for nearly 20
years, and whenever someone asks me to play at a celebration of some kind
(funeral, wedding, jubilee, etc.), I play that piece. It's as if it's
become a signature. When I heard it during the Short Program, my hert
melted and Ms. Hughes became a quick favorite of mine. When I saw her Long
Program, I had a strange tingly feeling that she could take a medal.
However, like the rest of the world, I never thought it would be gold.
Ms. Hughes, if you ever see this message, I just wanted to say on behalf of
people that hold music near and dear to their hearts, Congratulations.
(2-26-02) Derrick
I was working out at the gym and picked up a copy of TIME magazine. Sarah was
on the cover and I thought she was very attractive. Then, a couple weeks
later, I was at the gas station and saw a newspaper that had Sarah's picture
again, this time, as the gold winner for the US!
She is definitely the most graceful and elegant skater out there and I wish
her luck in all future endeavors.
(2-26-02) Robert
My 15-year-old daughter and I had to be out on
Thursday night last week till almost 10 PM. I knew
how much she wanted Michelle Kwan to win the figure
skating competition, so I stuck a tape in our VCR so
we wouldn't miss anything.
On the way home, she was saying again how much she
wanted Michelle to win, and I sympathized with her,
but I said, "You know, I'm really hoping Sarah Hughes
wins." At this point in time, I'm not even sure why
I said that. I'd never even seen her skate before.
I'd missed her short program. But, I always pull for
the underdog, so I'm guessing that was the reason. It
was fortunate for me that we had talked about it,
because if I hadn't made that statement, I might not
even have watched the program. Figure skating's never
been high on my agenda.
When we reached home, we found we really hadn't missed
anything much. We saw the skater before Sarah, and
then watched breathlessly through Sarah's program.
I'm so glad I had a tape going, because I don't think
I really appreciated what I was seeing the first time.
I was so nervous she was going to fall, I just
couldn't relax.
Since that first viewing, I've watched the tape 14
times. Everytime I watch it, my eyes tear up and I
catch that same emotion. I think that's an absolutely
amazing thing. This had to be the most special moment
in sports for me personally of all time. What an
fantastic performance. What an incredible gift, her
own, and the one she gave to us.
(2-25-02) Dmariashel
Her performance was awesome, elegant, beautiful, high art in my opinino...no question it absolutely deserved the gold but what made me a fan was not how she skated but how she reacted to her performance and the fact she just seemed so real, not faking anything about herself. She had a look of disbelief and of being baffled before skating to the side of the rink. Then when she was interviewed, she appeared to be once again, completely shocked at how well she had done, it was just so adorable. I thought what a nice young woman, and the interviews that followed showed how nice she was, the kind of person she is what made me a fan. She was one of the best things to happen at the Olympics, I'm just so glad I taped the long program so I can watch it over and over again.
(2-25-02) Erin
A Few years ago I began a Sarah Fan when I met her sister at a skating thing on Long Island. Sarah was supposed to be there too but couldn't go :( I am such a HUGE fan and I live on Long island so I will probably go to the welcome home party for her in Great Neck when they have it.
(2-25-02) Demetri
Everyone, as myself, probably thought Michelle Kwan would win the
gold medal. I was then captivated and awestruck by Sarah Hughes's
precision, femininity, and beauty on the ice, as I watched her long
program unfold. I had never seen such an awesome display of
confidence and talent from a skater. Sarah has made me PROUD beyond
words!!! Only this past year I took my four year-old daughter Erina
skating for the first time. Our practicing temporarily ended as she
got a bad cold. Now she and I are inspired, moreso after seeing
Sarah's performance of a lifetime, to get back on the ice. I'm a
Greek Canadian living and working in the United States, maintaing a
good visitation schedule with my daughter. Maybe one day she will be
inspired to follow Sarah's true love of skating and dedication!!
Bravo Sarah!! This is just the beginning of a special beautiful
career for you!! God Bless you!!
(2-25-02) Beth
I've been a fan of Sarah's for a few years. I'm not exactly sure of the first
time I saw her skate on TV, but it was around the time of Nationals in 1999.
Even at that young age, I admired Sarah's skating ability. Since then, she's
become my favorite skater because of her great athletic ability that she
combines with artistry and grace. I don't know of any other skater out there
who does both so well. In addition to her skating ability, it is Sarah's
character and personality that make her my favorite. No matter all the
success she has, she is still down-to-earth and modest. Because of all that,
I've enjoyed watching Sarah continue to improve through the years and am SO
happy to see that she is now Olympic champion!!
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