JETT4MK02
February 5th, 2001, 07:22 AM
Michelle, I have admired you since you were very young. Of course your skating is wonderful, but for more than that as you have grown. I am a 36 yr old married woman. Have been an ice skating fan most of my life. You are more than just a person trying to get a medal. If I were your parents, I would be so proud to have you for a daughter even if you had never laced up that first pair of skates. After so many years of the Elaine/Ros, Debi/Katarina and, do I need to mention Tonya/Nancy (?)It is so wonderful to hear "I like you Tara" and " I didn't lose the gold, i WON the silver". You are an example that I hope other skaters live by....Well, that other PEOPLE live by, regardless of profession. I have had disappointments on a much smaller scale in my profession, that I did not handle nearly as well as you did, and you were having to handle it in front of the world. I felt odd at the time, here I was a 30ish female disheartened because of having been cheated out of a promotion that I really felt I HAD IN THE BAG. My rival pulled out her own triple toe loop combination at the last second, and got the promotion, I felt so robbed. Then, a few months later, I was so upset when your gold medal was given to Tara, ...then I saw how you handled it. I felt ashamed for not having had the dignity and confidence that you had. I felt like "wow, I just learned a lesson from a 17 year old". Well, odd as it may seem, I still look to you as a role model. Its so refreshing to have someone with your morals and standards representing the youth of America. Congratulations for having become the remarkable, likable person that you are!!!!!!!!!