Scott Hamilton

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Lifestyle

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Family

American ice skater, a superlative Olympic figure skater known for his fancy footwork, the blurring speed of his spins and his trademark back flip. He was the winner of the U.S. Men's Championship in 1981 and 1982 and the World Championship in 1981 and 1982. Symbolizing eternal youth in skating with his charismatic energy and gnome-like and puckish features, he appears wispy and fragile at 5'3", 115 lbs. just seconds before blowing audiences away with his superlative skating; he is tremendously exciting in the arena. Adopted at six weeks by Ernie and Dorothy Hamilton, a biology professor and a teacher, Scott simply stopped growing at the age of two. From then up to age nine he suffered from digestion problems. Life for the boy became a dreary round of waiting rooms and medical tests. Finally a specialist told his concerned parents to let him eat normally and start an exercise program. He took up skating and was immediately hooked, practicing every spare minute. As mysteriously as his ailment began, it disappeared and within a year, his growth resumed a normal curve. Scott's natural talent and disciplined practice began to lead to wins starting in 1981 and leading to four consecutive national and world titles to go with his Olympic medal. His mom died of breast cancer in May 1977. Scott turned pro in April 1984, joining the Ice Capades tour. After two years he began skating for Stars on Ice, a showcase for world-class medallists who wanted to innovate and improve their skills. The early days of the tour were lean but as the show increased in stature it segued into Target Stars on Ice, attracting millions of fans. In 1990, Scott had the double honor of being induced into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. His dad died in 1994. Since February 1997 Scott suffered from back and stomach pains. On March 16 he went to the doctor to find that he had testicular cancer that had spread to the abdomen. As he is a beloved big brother to other skaters, his colleagues rallied around him through the next three months of chemotherapy treatments. On 6/24/1997, he had surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his abdomen in Cleveland, OH. His diagnosis remained positive, and he was expected to return to the ice in September. A fighter, he completely recovered but due to his five months of not skating, says that his skill is "only 50% of what it was formerly." On 10/28/1997, he was back on the ice in front of 10,000 fans for a taped TV special. In addition to a heavy touring schedule, Scott branched out into TV, serving as executive producer of Tara Lipinski's first TV special, and plans to act as a spokesman for cancer detection. After 14 years of wowing crowds, he bid goodbye to skating in 2000, closing with a 65-city tour. His plans focus now on fundraising for cancer awareness. In 2000, Scott met former nutritionist Traci Robinson backstage at an ice show in Memphis. He proposed to her on ice in September 2002 following a cancer research benefit in Cleveland and they married on 12/14/2002 in Malibu, CA. On November 11, 2004, the skater was diagnosed with a one-inch non-cancerous brain tumor near his pituitary gland. On December 13, 2004 in Cleveland, OH, he underwent an intricate procedure that attacks the tumor with gamma radiation. The treatment at The Cleveland Clinic destroyed the tumor but the fluid-filled cyst that enclosed the growth is still there. Doctors are monitoring his condition hoping that the cyst will dissolve. He and his wife welcomed their second child, a boy named Maxx, born January 21, 2008 in Nashville, TN at 7:51 AM. Link to Wikipedia biography