Debi Thomas is currently living in Terre Haute, Indiana with her husband and son, and is a practicing physician in that city . Debis figure skating career was launched by Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. It's the resume: This is. There have been other roadblocks not completely of her making. College football: Illinois vs. California, 3 p.m., Dec. 30, Remember him? As a female African American sports star of the 1980s, Debi won numerous awards. But he wanted to play college football, bottom line. Morning spring practices, grueling summer workouts and a competitive fall camp filled with newcomers and established veterans alike have finally led to this. He plans to pursue a career in the NFL. Bequette has asked to get on the field for batting practice. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Her husband, attorney Christopher Bequette, and 4-year-old son Luc, stayed behind in Little Rock, Ark., where they have lived since 1998.. Before divorcing, they had a son named Christopher Jules "Luc" Bequette (b. You have permission to edit this article. It might have been her son's last birthday. At the 1988 Winter Olympics, Katarina Witt and Debi were in a rivalry. Currently, Debi is somewhere in Virginia, living in a small house with her fiance. Not so surprisingly, she secured second place despite the injury, which deserves applause. They had 1 child. At the same time, it is kind of a lot of pressure living up to what my mom did being at the top of her game.. The Bay Area is a really cool place. Im definitely blessed to have good genes with my mom and everyone on my dads side of the family, Bequette said. Then, she was once married to Chris Bequette, a sports attorney, and is now executive team trainer at ACN Sac Global. [1] She graduated from Stanford in 1991 with a degree in engineering and then from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 1997. Thomas, who contested the bipolar diagnosis, declared bankruptcy in 2014. While completing her residency in orthopedics, she thought about another dream. Last year, one of the Cal quarterbacks played baseball. Make no mistake Bequette has all but made sure that the Razorbacks whiffed on him. Thomas began with a triple toe-triple toe combination, which was rare for a female skater in the 1980s. Ive got to get out and do that, Bequette said. Retirement, Wife & Michael Jordan: Family, Career, Success & Net Ryan Lochte Net Worth: Earnings & Sponsors, Who Is Aaron Rodgers Wife? On the other hand, this American lady stands at 1.67m and weighs 116.8 lbs. [15], As of December 2010, Thomas was in private practice at ORTHO X-cellence Debra J. Thomas, MD, PC in Richlands, Virginia, which has since ceased operations. Or, with his bigger stature and struggles throwing a football, a tight end. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 25 March. At 55 years old, Debi Thomas height Let's look at some facts about Debi that you want to know. In 1987, Thomas suffered with Achilles tendinitis in both ankles and struggled at the U.S. Nationals, placing second to Jill Trenary. But Thomas believes she's not troubled, just free from the shackles she's put on herself to become a high achiever. Her fiance is the co-founder of 'Save Coal Country's Economy & Environment Network'. In September 2007, she began working at Carle Clinic in Urbana, Illinois. Debi loved staking from a very early age and has actively participated in various skating competitions since age five. Its a good jinx, though.. But Thomas did not have a head for business. As it was last season, the performances of Cals defense will dictate where this team lands come the seasons end. Call us now: 012 662 0227 very faint line on covid test. Debi is the only African-American ice skater to win a medal in figure skating in the Winter Olympics and the first to win an award in any event during the Winter Games. Although the current Cal coaching staff did not recruit Bequette, its safe to say his coaches have fallen in love with everything he has brought to the program since his arrival. To say Bequette comes from an athletic background is an understatement. On 25th March 1967, Thomas was born to her parents McKinley Thomas and Janice Thomas. The eighteen year old won the short program and landed four triple jumps to place second in the long program, enough to win the overall competition. I tried to skate around hard twice, and I was completely pooped," Thomas said. Copyright 2023 The Daily Californian, The Independent Berkeley Student Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Similarly, Debi is an inspiration because she came when black women were discriminated against and not given equal opportunities. And then came his cousin Jake, who, as a defensive end for the Razorbacks, became a third round pick for the New England Patriots, and enjoyed a short-lived NFL career that included a Super Bowl ring in 2014. Thomas skated strong compulsory figures and performed well in the short program to an instrumental version of "Something in My House" by Dead or Alive. She was inducted into the U.S. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021. However, despite Debis problems, she helped her fiance to get over his problems. I love Champaign, Bequette said. Then, worked at King-Drew Medical Center as a junior-attending-physician specialist. Brown. In February 1989, Thomas ranked 12th in the Q Score athlete standings, the only woman in the top 22. His dads side of the family may rule the college football ranks, but his mom Debi Thomas takes things up a notch. But before that, let us have an instant glance at the quick facts. However, Debis mother has a significant role in shaping Debis career because her mother used to drive 100 miles a day and sacrificed her time between home, school, and the ice rink. And No. Our Pac-12 WBB tournament picks: Early upsets create chaos; will Stanford and Utah meet again in final? The medical board recommended a distressed-physician program, but Thomas couldn't afford it. Dr. Thomas married sports attorney Chris Bequette in 1996, and in 1997, just weeks after receiving her medical degree, she and her husband welcomed their first child, Christopher Jules Bequette II. It seems like every day I hear something new and crazy that shows how long Ive been in college, said Bequette, 24. Debi Thomas and Christopher Bequette - Dating, Gossip, News, Photos list. When it was all said and done, however, Bequettes desire to play college football took priority over all else. Despite that, it has never been easy for Debi, and she was the first African-American player in skating. She was dreaming of being a doctor from her childhood and after completing high-level education, enrolled at Stanford University. Debi Thomas is a figure skater and physician, . Not only in skate, but Thomas is also a successful surgeon. Arkansas was definitely my dream school, obviously, with the family connections, Bequette stated. You name it, he played it. 1997), a Berkeley defensive tackle (2015-). 1997), who as of 2021 played defensive tackle for California.[18]. [23], Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 21:38, University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital, Martin Luther King Jr./Charles Drew University Medical Center, "The Night When It All Slipped Away: A Year Ago, Debi Thomas Didn't Skate, or Behave, Like a Champion", "Exclusive: Olympic medalist Debi Thomas talks about her path to Virginia trailer", "Debi Thomas Wins World Skating Title; Chin Takes Third", "Books Or Blades, There's No Doubting Thomas", "Candace Award Recipients 1982-1990, Page 3", "Debi Thomas Hopes Triple-Triple Will Bring Her Olympic Gold", "Olympic skater Thomas joins Carle orthopedic staff", "The best African American figure skater in history is now bankrupt and living in a trailer", "Cal Football Roster Released: Luc Bequette on the Roster", The best African American figure skater in history is now bankrupt and living in a trailer, "Olympic figure skater and doctor Debi Thomas reveals she's broke, living in bug-infested trailer in emotional interview", "History-Making Olympian Debi Thomas Reveals She Is Now Broke and Living in a Bed Bug-Infested Trailer", "The best African American figure skater in history is now broke and living in a trailer", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Debi_Thomas&oldid=1140802477, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 21:38. She had just graduated medical school at the time. "Engineering is very different. Debi Thomas is a 55 year old American Skater. The couple exchanged their vows on 15th March 1988, in Boulder, Colorado. I felt like I had overcome the difficulties I was having and somebody finally gave me a chance.". Thomas started skating at age 5 in San Jose. But even as she strove for perfection and achievement, she didn't feel free until it was all over. "When I was skating, I was there every day, doing it," Thomas said. Similarly, when Thomas was just 18 years old, she won the short program, and after three significant long jumps, she was placed second in the long program. [1] She won the title again in both 1989 and 1991. husband: Chris Bequette Debi Thomas Debi was born in Poughkeepsie, New York on March 25, 1967. That ship has sailed, Good Morning, Illini Nation: New 2024 offer out. Thomas moved practices from Illinois to Indiana and finally to Richlands, Virginia in 2010. The move to Virginia was controversial, as Thomas moved there after her divorce from her husband, Chris Bequette, and left her son. Hes got the physical toughness and hes a veteran, so he understands what were doing, DeRuyter said. Thomas expressed interest in becoming a doctor from an early age. His college choice was down to Cal and Vanderbilt. Yet, even at 55, Debi Thomas misses no chance to express her love for the game that changed her life. She spent a year at the University of Arkansas doing a residency in general surgery and then moved on to do a year and a half of orthopedic research before she was accepted into the program in Southern California. The Trojans are leading the Bears 14-0 and threatening to extend their lead late in the second quarter. Her rivalry with East Germany 's Katarina Witt at the 1988 Calgary Olympics was known as the Battle of the Carmens . Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. (1 September 1996 - 2010) (divorced) (1 child). Bequette, who is cleared to play this week, said the Big Game means more than ever, given this years circumstances. Can I still get Beyonc tickets? Bay Area college basketball: Can anyone join Stanford women, Saint Marys men in March Madness? Cal lost to an Arizona team that hadnt won a game in more than two years a Pac-12 record 20-game losing streak then had to postpone its game last week against USC when the virus spread to 44 players, coaches and staff. Former Cal mens hoops coach Campanelli dies at 84. While gaining her elite ranking in skating, she stubbornly maintained her commitment to her educational goals, completing high school and enrolling at Stanford University to obtain a degree in engineering. Privacy Policy. They will be moving to join her by year's end. From then on, she was hooked on competitive skating. As her financial status goes, she is in a terrible condition. Bequette is the son of former Razorback offensive lineman Chris Bequette and Debbie Thomas, the 1988 Winter Olympic bronze medalist in figure skating. Bequette, 18, now is a defensive lineman for the Cal football team and redshirted this year. Talking about her education, Debi graduated from Stanford University as an orthopedic surgeon. I work in a very busy hospital with not very many residents," Thomas said. Debi Thomas Thank you! His dad was there to challenge his footwork, break down film and naturally pull some strings to get him on Arkansas radar. Just as St. Brown collides with the initial defender, Bequette flies in, having run across the field from the weak side. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Thomas and fianc Jamie Looney now live with Looney's two sons, Ethan and Austin, in southwest Virginia. Debi Thomas, the former ice skating champion (Source: myblackhistory.net). 93 at Levis Stadium later this month. Our 4100 team went to state, and we couldve placed, but our fastest guy ended up getting hurt a couple of days before the meet, Bequette said. He could have chosen to attend Vanderbilt, which was closer to home and a top-tier school academically in its own right one of his top factors when deciding between his options. A new adventure. Unfortunately, Debi made many mistakes in her second round, and in the third round, she couldnt jump correctly, and after the third round, she gave up. They had a son named Christopher Jules "Luc" Bequette before divorcing. Tuesday evening June 29, 2010.Robert K. O'Daniell/The News-Gazette Luc Bequette gets his trophy at the LIttle League Home Run Derby in Eisner Park in Champaign, IL. , Inc. all rights reserved: early upsets create chaos ; will Stanford and meet... 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