An overachiever, Thomas became one of the few skaters at the time to go to college while simultaneously competing at a high level. In 2018, when the Bears defense finished No. Olympic bronze medalist and orthopedic surgeon Debi Thomas has given a new interview revealing she has hit rock bottom, now broke, unemployed and living in a bed bug-infested trailer in the. But its not the years that distinguish Bequette, a 6-2, 295-pound defensive end who will start for the Bears on Saturday in the 124th Big Game at Stanford Stadium. Born in 1967, Debi is currently 54 years old. Back in 2010, Luc Bequette was a big smasher. The skater was first represented at the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club in 1983 and began her professional life. Press Esc to cancel. She became the only woman to reach the top 22 of the Q score athlete standings, and was later inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame. And his team was pretty darn good at it. Discover Debi Thomas's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Her rivalry with East Germany 's Katarina Witt at the 1988 Calgary Olympics was known as the Battle of the Carmens . Jill Trenary, Debi Thomas and Caryn Kadavy fter capturing medals at the U.S. In 1983, she began to represent the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club, which launched her career. It was a little hard, Bequette said. "I feel sometimes like I've taken five years off," Thomas said. As it was last season, the performances of Cals defense will dictate where this team lands come the seasons end. His name is Jamie Looney, and they began a relationship. 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. She now recruits people to buy small gold bullion pieces she calls "Karatbars." He misses Billy Barooz, where he often went with his dad. She earned her bachelors degree in engineering from Stanford University in 1991 and then retired from skating in 1992 to enroll at the Northwestern University Medical School. Debi married her second husband, sports attorney, Chris Bequette, in 1996, and they welcomed a son, Christopher, in 1997. Bequette says he talked recently with his mom, who joked about the Big Game rivalry. Debi Thomas was once a promising figure skater who won big titles, appeared in the covers of magazines, and was named athlete of the year. Dykes was fired in early 2017. In her words, the show will expose life's hardships. I think shes doing great. She kept winning competitions and struck up a rivalry with German champion Katarina Witt. She is a member of famous with the age 56 years old group. Olympian mentality is rough because you just get frustrated with how everybody does everything, Debi explained of her behavior. "But I like it best when people say I want Dr. Thomas because she listens and explains things in a way I can understand," she said. The guys at Illinois are going to love San Francisco.. And continued: I dont care about living in a trailer. Her net worth is estimated at $20,000, with her wealth being limited by divorces and work in poverty-stricken areas as a physician. She and fiance Jamie Looney now live with his two sons, Ethan and Austin in southwest Virginia. At the age of 5, she started learning skating by Barbara Toigo Vitkovits at Eastridge in San Jose. The date is Nov. 10, 2018. Imatorbhebhe asked Bequette about his old hometown. Bequettes future seems on a good path. 1997), who as of 2021 played defensive tackle for California.[20]. Illinois will need to be aware of No. I just ran as hard as I could and blew a lineman up and turned and chased the ball like were taught, Bequette said. Theyve done a great job.. Windy. [3] At age 10, Thomas was introduced to Scottish skating coach Alex McGowan. I wish both of these wonderful women the best of luck in their lives. She had to face a lot of hardship and struggles from the beginning. She would bounce back at the World Championships, and finished in second place behind Katarina Witt. What would she need to do to be accepted and respected? Thomas began with a triple toe-triple toe combination, which was rare for a female skater in the 1980s. Debi became the first black athlete to win any medal at the Winter Olympics, and she then won the World Professional Championships, and again two years after that. She was also the first African American to earn the U.S. national titles in ladies singles figure skating. Thomas has been in Los Angeles for seven months. He was a pitcher, catcher and corner infielder. Cloudy skies will become partly cloudy after midnight. November 29, 2022; dylan and savenia catfish update 2020 . [7] She rebounded at the World Championships, finishing a close second to East German skater Katarina Witt. Plus, as a medical specialist in a small town, she doesn't exactly have a lot of patients coming in. Thomas had also won the U.S. national title besides the World Championship that year; these achievements earned Thomas the ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year award that year. Actress: Nutcracker on Ice. In September 2007, she began working at Carle Clinic in Urbana, Illinois. Debi Thomas at the U. S. Figure Skating Championships, Kansas City, Missouri, January 31, 1985 | Photo: GettyImages, My mother introduced me to many different things, and figure skating was one of them, Debi told ABC Sports. Last seasons starter Chris Palmer had graduated, and role players Siulagisipai Fuimaono and Aaron Maldonado were away from the team for personal reasons. I got rid of it once I committed., Bequette says he was too young to understand the details of the rivalry when his mom shared old college stories. Debi Thomas's net worth . The year prior, she had come fifth. It only made sense for Luc, a talented and versatile lineman from Little Rock, to follow in his familys footsteps and become the next Bequette to run onto Razorback Stadiums field come football season. Dr. Thomas has worked with the . Thomas committed to medical school before her skating career ended. While the Bears linebacker and defensive back units command the majority of media headlines centered around the program, Bequettes story epitomizes the defensive renaissance that is happening at Cal. In 2015, Debi made headlines and grabbed national attention once again when she appeared in an episode of OWNs Iyanla: Fix My Life to made her struggles public. T Because he got hurt his redshirt freshman year, he will be back for a sixth season in 2020. "We talk on the phone every day. She is the 1986 World champion, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion. Debbie seems like a kind soul but like so many famous people she got lost somehow. But Thomas believes she's not troubled, just free from the shackles she's put on herself to become a high achiever. Debi Thomas is a 55 year old American Skater. If that isnt an example of greatness, I dont know what is. Debis business inexperience and the fact that she chose a less populated town to open her first practice, soon led her to fall behind with her bills as she struggled to make end meets. In June 2005, she graduated from the Orthopedic Residency Program at Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles. She also made Debi admit that there had been domestic violence in her relationship, and criticized her for feeling just frustrated and not sad or angry about having a bed-bug infestation and living in such conditions. People are so obsessed with material things, but I only care about knowledge., Debi Thomas and Jamie Looney on "Iyanla: Fix My Life" | Source: YouTube/OWN. ", "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", World champions in figure skating Women's singles, United States national champions in figure skating Women's singles, Skate Canada International champions in figure skating Women's singles, Skate America champions in figure skating Women's singles, Nebelhorn Trophy champions in figure skating Women's singles, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Debi_Thomas&oldid=1151227150, Figure skaters at the 1988 Winter Olympics, Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in figure skating, World Figure Skating Championships medalists, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 April 2023, at 17:57. From his first day forward, Bequette was a lineman much to the delight of his dad, who started nearly 40 games at Arkansas on the offensive line. Thomas and fianc Jamie Looney now live with Looney's two sons, Ethan and Austin, in southwest Virginia.[25]. 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. In November 2015, it was reported that she was living in a bed bug-infested trailer in the Appalachian mountains with her fiance who was struggling with anger and alcohol issues. She was unable to keep the practice going, and soon after, bills started to mount. In July 2006, she began a one-year fellowship at the Dorr Arthritis Institute at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, California, for sub-specialty training in adult-reconstructive surgery. She was also selected by President George W. Bush to be part of the U.S. Delegation for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy along with other former Olympians: Dorothy Hamill, Eric Heiden, Kerri Strug, and Herschel Walker. When hes no longer here, Wilcox said, its going to feel awkward., Cal player Luc Bequette has a famous mom and a, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Cal player Luc Bequette has a famous mom and a seven-year college football career, Prep roundup: Cal-bound ace Oliver de la Torre leads Amador Valley over Granada, NFL Draft preview: Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez leads our list of top Pac-12 prospects, Former Cal Bears, NFL star hanging on, helping others despite grim ALS diagnosis, Cal introduces Mark Madsen as face to lead Bears mens basketball out of darkness. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Thomas married sports attorney Chris Bequette in the fall of 1996. The life of an athlete can be short and bittersweet. 13 in S&P+ ratings nationally, he took things a step further, earning the title of Most Valuable Lineman. Her mother, a computer engineer, split from her dad when Debi was 9, and she was raised alongside her brother Richard Taylor in San Jose, California. My goal is to improve on last year and hopefully finish with more sacks (and) more tackles, and eat up more double teams so Weaver and the linebackers can make more plays, Bequette said. Takin selfies with friends and new friends at #WOFLovedTour pic.twitter.com/kMCdLTxlUt, Debi Thomas (@Orthodeb) October 10, 2015, Posted by Debi Thomas onWednesday, November 2, 2016, In 1986, Thomas won the US National and World Championships, culminating in her being awarded Athlete of the Year from Wide World of Sports, the first female athlete to win while still attending college full-time, since Tenley Albright during the 1950s. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021. Cal is stoked he did. He is working on a second degree. Hed like to continue playing football, but has completed commercial real estate classes, is ready to take the test and already has a job lined up. The business side of skating really took its toll I think. In Champaign, he attended St . In 2012, Debi and Jamie had a discussion at the trailer, and she took his gun and fired it to the ground outside. Born Debra Janine Thomas on 25th March, 1967 in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States, she is famous for She is the 1986 World champion and 1988 Olympic bronze medalist.. Who is Dave Annable from Yellowstone? We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. McGowan would remain her coach until she retired from amateur competition at age 21. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? However, during the competition, some mistakes saw her finish with the bronze medal. The Bay Area is a really cool place. When a police officer arrived, Debi said she had a gun and wanted to hurt herself. On the other hand, this American lady stands at 1.67m and weighs 116.8 lbs. Contribute Debi Thomas and Christopher Bequette - Dating, Gossip, News, Photos list. Looney, reportsThe Washington Post, said he was addicted to prescription pain killers. She studied at Stanford University during her competitive career until her move to Boulder, Colorado during the 198788 season, and had resumed her studies by 1989. In July 2006, she began a one-year fellowship at the Dorr Arthritis Institute at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, California, for sub-specialty training in adult-reconstructive surgery. It may look [to] people on the outside like its insane, but I dont care, Debi told the New York Post in 2018. Now 21, Bequette is all grown up. She also opened a GoFundMe to raise money to start a YouTube show about realitynot a reality showwhere she wanted to shed light on the truths she and Jamie discovered about the global economic system. She later studied pre-med at Stanford University and graduated from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 1997. I tried to skate around hard twice, and I was completely pooped," Thomas said. In the year 2016, Debi had filed for bankruptcy. police pursuit today anaheim debi thomas husband, chris bequette. It worked. I think Illinois has got a good team. 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. Thomas placed fifth in the World Championships in 1985 and won gold in 1986. *Debi Thomas was born on this date in 1967. Thomas began figure skating when she was five, she told Holland Sentinel. Thomas had also won the U.S. national title besides the World Championship that year; these achievements earned Thomas the ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year award that year. Thomas expressed interest in becoming a doctor from an early age. But the path that led her to her residency has taken more than its share of detours. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000. "There are days now when I would like nothing better than to stay in bed. Bequette is the son of former Razorback offensive lineman Chris Bequette and Debbie Thomas, the 1988 Winter Olympic bronze medalist in figure skating. Yup, he was fast enough to compete in those too. And No. 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. Debi ended up winning the bronze medal, coming behind Germanys Katarina Witt and Canadas Elizabeth Manley. Still, as she continues her endeavors, it is expected that her wealth will increase somewhat. At 56 years old, Debi Thomas height debi thomas husband, chris bequette. Ive got to get out and do that, Bequette said. Debi Thomas is a figure skater and physician, . . Ive come to have an appreciation for autumn. Bequettes grandfather, George, was the trendsetter the first of the family to don cardinal and white. Thomas returned to the ice briefly to participate in "The Caesars Tribute: A Salute to the Golden Age of American Skating", an event which featured many of the greatest legends and icons of American figure skating. Thomas won the bronze medal at the 1988 World Championships and then retired from amateur skating. Thomas, who contested the bipolar diagnosis, declared bankruptcy in 2014. 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. Luc, who has grown from Arkansas forgotten Bequette to Cals top defensive lineman, is still playing with a desire to make an even bigger impact. I was worried about my son, having to leave him. Thomas placed fifth in the World Championships in 1985 and won gold in 1986. https://www.facebook.com/Debi-Thomas-81725206663/, https://www.instagram.com/thomasdebi/?hl=en, Where is figure skater Dorothy Hamill today? Out of work and forced to declare bankruptcy as a result of two divorces, she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the newspaper reported, which Thomas disputed. At this point Ive kind of gotten over it. The son of Chris Bequette and Debi Thomas, Luc moved to Little Rock, Ark., in 2013. Standing at more than 6 feet tall and built like a lineman, you might guess that he was solid in the shotput and other field events. But I can't because I have patients. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. The Washington Port wrote an extensive story about Thomas in 2016, detailing the life she was living in a trailer in the poor coal-mining community of Richlands, Virginia. She performed for Stars on Ice and won the 1988 World Professional Championships in Landover, Maryland. Three words Bequette uses to describe himself include passionate (about football), happy (he loves to smile and laugh) and adventurous. They started 1-5, found a rhythm with back-to-back decisive wins over Colorado and Oregon State, then were hit with a COVID outbreak that forced 24 players including Bequette to miss a game at Arizona two weeks ago. PERSONAL: Son of Chris Bequette and Debi Thomas father is a former offensive lineman at Arkansas and currently a financial advisor who works with college and pro football coaches comes from a football family with his grandfather George Bequette, uncle Jay Bequette, and cousin Jake Bequette, also playing for the Razorbacks, with Jake a member Final score: Bears 15, Trojans 14. After a disappointing start, it would mean a lot to the fans and the community.. Figure skater Debi Thomas competing in unident. Figure Skating Championships in Denver, 1988 | Photo: GettyImages. She skated professionally for two years after the 1988 Games and eventually retired in 1992. She is from NY. Bequette lived in Champaign from August 2007 to 2013. She rebounded at the World Championships, finishing a close second to East German skater Katarina Witt. The son of Chris Bequette and Debi Thomas, Luc moved to Little Rock, Ark., in 2013. During this time, she was studying a pre-med course at Stanford University, and it was considered unusual for a competitive figure skater to attend college at the same time because of the combined work load. They visit on the phone every now and then, and Bequette has only good things to say about her. She is an actress, known for Nutcracker on Ice (2009), American Gladiators (1989) and Calgary 1988: XV Olympic Winter Games (1988). Her mother worked as a computer programming analyst in Sunnyvale, California.[1]. She spent the next year preparing for Step I of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons' exam and working at King-Drew Medical Center as a junior-attending-physician specialist. [23][24] She was featured in the November 7, 2015, episode of the television series Iyanla: Fix My Life on the Oprah Winfrey Network. He ended up in a great spot at Illinois.. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A close up of my four biggest skating accomplishments Olympic Bronze, Two U.S. National Championship Golds, and a, Posted by Debi Thomas onSaturday, March 27, 2010. When Bequette wasnt at school or playing video games with his friends, he was out on the practice field working on his craft. In 1988, Debi Thomas made history as the first African-American athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, taking home . It seems like every day I hear something new and crazy that shows how long Ive been in college, said Bequette, 24. Ahead of the 1988 Olympics, which took place in Calgary, Canada, Debi reclaimed once again her title in the U.S Nationals. Her net worth is estimated at $20,000, with her wealth being limited by divorces and work in poverty-stricken areas as a physician. [10] The second triple was not perfect and by her own admission, Thomas gave up on the rest of the program. "When I was in medical school, taking tests was hard for me and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.". [13] She studied at Stanford University during her competitive career until her move to Boulder, Colorado, during the 198788 season, and had resumed her studies by 1989. event at 1988 Winter Olympics. Dr. Thomas has worked with the Women's Sports Foundation and has always helped children's charities. [1] She was inducted into the U.S. Around that time, the father of a patient asked her out. Hes got the physical toughness and hes a veteran, so he understands what were doing, DeRuyter said. I never really worried about her. Debi Thomas. That medal I dont even put it out. The first African-American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics (1988). College football: Illinois vs. California, 3 p.m., Dec. 30, Remember him? She also wanted to enlist more people into buying Karatbars for passive income. 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. However, when the big day came at the Olympics, Debi didnt give her best, something that she admitted years later. They had a son named Christopher Jules "Luc" Bequette before divorcing. Inducted into the U.S. That was about Dad being more familiar with football, he said. At the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, she and Katarina Witt engaged in a rivalry that the media dubbed the "Battle of the Carmens", as both women skated their long programs to the music of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen. While some interest existed between Bequette and Arkansas coaches, it was clear that the Razorbacks were reluctant to offer Luc the same deal his other family members received. The Stanford influence was profound at home. Just ask USC receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. She later appeared in an episode of Iyania: Fix My Life. (Jared Folks, a linebacker at East Tennessee State, is playing his eighth college football season, having twice been granted injury exceptions.). Bequettes father, in the stands that night, is among the Cal faithful celebrating the key stop. "He was an easy kid to raise," Chris said.. She was featured in the November 7, 2015, episode of the television series, Iyanla: Fix My Life, on the Oprah Winfrey Network. She started seeing Jamie Looney, a single father of two who lived in a trailer and soon realized he had troubles with alcohol and prescription narcotics. Thomas won the bronze medal at the 1988 World Championships and then retired from amateur skating. Dr. Thomas has worked with the Women's Sports Foundation, and has always helped children's charities. Things began to change after her divorce from Chris.
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