Quick Facts
- NAME: Debi Thomas
- OCCUPATION: Ice Skater
- BIRTH DATE: March 25, 1967 (Age: 45)
- EDUCATION: Stanford University, Northwestern University
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Poughkeepsie, New York
- ZODIAC SIGN: Aries
Best Known For
Debi Thomas was a figure skater who went on to become the first African American to win an Olympic medal at the Winter Olympics.
Debi Thomas. (2012). Biography.com. Retrieved 10:59, May 25, 2012 from http://www.biography.com/people/debi-thomas-537712
Debi Thomas [Internet]. 2012. http://www.biography.com/people/debi-thomas-537712, May 25
" Debi Thomas." 2012. Biography.com 25 May 2012, 10:59 http://www.biography.com/people/debi-thomas-537712
' Debi Thomas', Biography.com,(2012) http://www.biography.com/people/debi-thomas-537712 [accessed May 25, 2012]
" Debi Thomas," Biography.com, http://www.biography.com/people/debi-thomas-537712 (accessed May 25, 2012).
Debi Thomas [Internet]. Biography.com; 2012 [cited 2012 May 25]. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/debi-thomas-537712.
Debi Thomas, http://www.biography.com/people/debi-thomas-537712 (last visited May 25, 2012).
Debi Thomas, http://www.biography.com/people/debi-thomas-537712 (last visited May 25, 2012).
Synopsis
In February of 1986, while attended Stanford University, Debi Thomas won the senior women's title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. With the victory, she became the first African-American to win a non-novice title. Thomas competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, winning the bronze and becoming the first African American to win a medal in any Winter Olympic sport.
Profile
Athlete, physician. Born March 25, 1967, in Poughkeepsie, New York. Thomas first stepped into the skating rink at the age of five. By the age of nine, she was taking formal lessons and winning competitions. The following year, she signed on with coach Alex McGowan, who guided Thomas's career as she trained for the Olympics.
As an African-American figure skater, the judges often discriminated against Thomas, giving better marks to Thomas's competitors. She persevered, however, and at the age of 12 she advanced to the national novice finals, where she won the silver medal.
In February of 1986, while attended Stanford University, Thomas won the senior women's title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. With the victory, she became the first African-American to win a non-novice title. Thomas also continued to study medicine while she trained, a difficult task that left her exhausted and often too tired to train.
Thomas competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, winning the bronze. She became the first African-American to win a medal in any Olympic sport. Thomas earned her bachelor's degree in 1991, and retired from skating the following year to enter the medical program at Northwestern University. She is currently practicing at AP&S Clinic in Terre Haute, Indiana.
© 2012 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.
profile name: Debi Thomas profile occupation:
Your Connections
Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.
Profile Connections
Included In These Groups
-
Famous Arians 481 people in this group
-
Famous Black Athletes
View groupBrowse through notable black athletes such as Jackie Robinson, Serena Williams, and Michael Jordan.
Famous Black Athletes 113 people in this group
-
Famous Figure Skaters
View groupBrowse notable figure skaters such as Oksana Baiul, Sarah Hughes, and Katerina Witt.
Famous Figure Skaters 12 people in this group

Mark Zuckerberg
Mobsters
Icons of the Wild West
Robin Gibb
My Ghost Story
Mobsters
Robert Downey Jr
Margaret Thatcher
Marilyn Monroe
I Survived



