31 Days of Thanksgiving- Day 14 – Scott Hamilton

Many of you know Scott as an Olympic gold medalist in figure skating. Scott has an amazing story and testimony, and I am honored to have him guest posting on the blog today. I hope his words encourage you as they have me.

Gratitude comes in all shapes and sizes. It can come in quiet moments of reflection, or it can come with a win from your favorite hockey team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

For me, gratitude is inspired by so many memories. Being adopted by two amazing parents and the expert coaching I was given when I first laced up my skates. Later it would be for the medals I was able to win and the tests I was able to pass on the ice. None bigger than an Olympic Gold Medal. Why me? I often ask.

How could it be that with all the obstacles in my way I was able to break through and make a life for myself and family doing something I loved to do. And then there were the tough times. Ironically, these are the times I am most grateful for. My childhood illness that kept me in and out of hospitals for four years stunting my growth and development. It was only when I started skating that my health started to improve. Since I had very little development, every muscle I grew was built to make me a better skater without any excess baggage. Losing my mother to cancer is something I wrestle with everyday. Through the devastation of mourning my mother, I had the only choice to become the person she wanted me to be.

Through broken relationships, I was able to grow in new directions and build a life I never could have dreamed of.

On the ice, I estimate that I fell 41,600 times. Through each and every one of those falls I learned and grew stronger. And each time I fell, I simply and naturally got up. Looking back, I learned very little from my victories, but am grateful for every one. It was the failures and defeats that I most grateful for. I learned the most from them. God saw me through each and every painful moment in my life. Jesus’s words, obedience, and resurrection have given me hope like nothing else. And the Holy Spirit guiding me toward a brighter tomorrow allows great comfort, knowing I’m not nearly as lost as I could be.

About the Author: The most recognized male figure skating star in the world, Scott Hamilton has won 70 titles, awards and honors including an Emmy Award nomination, induction into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and a privileged member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

In 1984, Scott captured the attention of the world with his Olympic Gold medal performances in Saravejo and since has shared his love and enthusiasm for the sport as a analyst/commentator, performer, producer and best-selling author (Landing It, 1999; The Great Eight, 2009. His third book, Finish First: Winning Changes Everything, will be released in February 2018). He further inspires others as a speaker, humanitarian, and as a cancer and pituitary brain tumor survivor.

After losing his mother to cancer, then becoming survivor himself, Scott turned activist, launching the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation (Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship. He founded several education and survivorship programs including Chemocare.com and the 4^th Angel Mentoring Program and events such as Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer and An Evening with Scott Hamilton & Friends galas fund research into treatments that kill the cancer and spare the patient.

He is also the founder of the Scott Hamilton Skating Academy at Ford Ice Center in Antioch, TN, where he may frequently be found coaching Learn to Skate students and sharing his love of skating.

In what little free time remains, Scott can be found on the golf course and enjoys spending time with his wife Tracie and four children – at their home outside Nashville, Tennessee.