Debi Thomas:
On Febreuary 8, 1986, 18 Year-Old Debi Thomas Won The Woman's Senior Singles U.S. Figure Skating Championship, Becoming The First Black American To Win The Title.
In March Of That Same Year, She Defeated East Germany's Katrina Witt And Went On To Win The Women's World Figure Skating Championship. This Was Another African American First.
Thomas Regained The U.S. National Title In Early 1988. Later She Won A Bronze Medal At The Olympic Games In Calgary, Canada, Becoming The First African American To Win A Medal In The Winter Olympic Games.
After Her Figure Skating Career, Thomas Went Back To School To Become An Orthopedic Surgeon. She Graduated From Stanford University in 1991 With A Degree In Engineering And From The Northwestern University Feinberg School Of Medicine in 1997. Thomas followed this With A Surgical Residency At The University Of Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital And On Orthopedic Surgery Residency At The Martin Luther King Jr./Charles Drew University Medical Center In South Central Los Angeles.
Dr. Thomas Was Inducted Into The U.S. Figure Skating Hall Of Fame in 2000. She Is Also A Member Of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
"In Order Fror Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
