Debi Thomas is best known for becoming the first African American to win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games in 1988. I love Champaign, Bequette said. Thomas was a pre-med student at Stanford University during this time although it was unusual for a top U.S. skater to go to college at the same time as competing. hat call from the University of Arkansas never came. The 2021 season hasnt gone the way the Bears hoped. T Copyright 2023 The Daily Californian, The Independent Berkeley Student Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Cal linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk pounces on the rock, and USC is denied the endzone at a pivotal moment of its season. Things began to change after her divorce from Chris. Plus, as a medical specialist in a small town, she doesn't exactly have a lot of patients coming in. It's the resume: This is. In 1983, she began to represent the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club, which launched her career. She won the two biggest career matches in engineering college. davenport funeral home crystal lake, il obituaries I dreamt that I actually cursed myself for the seven-year journey because when I committed my Tweet said, `Im excited to go to Cal for the next 3 to 5 years., And I think me kind of locking myself in a box like that jinxed me. Rainfall around a half an inch. . Others merely think she looks familiar. Thomas began with a triple toe-triple toe combination, which was rare for a female skater in the 1980s. Thomas followed this with a surgical residency at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital and an orthopedic surgery residency at the Martin Luther King Jr./Charles Drew University Medical Center in South Central Los Angeles. "It's very intense. In the long program, she made mistakes on a number of jumps and placed fourth in that segment of the competition. 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. She eventually earned her medical degree at Northwestern and did a surgical residency in Little Rock, where she met Lucs father, Chris Bequette, a former offensive lineman at the University of Arkansas. [7] She rebounded at the World Championships, finishing a close second to East German skater Katarina Witt. But when he ran over to the tight ends group at his first football practice as a ninth grader, his coaches at Little Rock Catholic High School for Boys had other ideas. Therefore, a skater needs to be physically strong while owning a slimmer body. After winning the 1988 World Champion, Debi retired from amateur figure skating. videos, I think Illinois has got a good team. 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. In June 2005, she graduated from the Orthopedic Residency Program at Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles. Just because she was black, the judges favored other white contestants over her. Photo by Matt A. After getting the extra COVID year, he found his way back to Berkeley. Or working as a financial advisor like his dad. College football: Illinois vs. California, 3 p.m., Dec. 30, Remember him? 1 NFL Draft pick Jalen Carter charged in connection with fatal car crash, Predictions for Pac-12 media rights, network partners and expansion, Pac-12 sends 31 players to the NFL scouting combine: What that means and what to watch. Some day she would apply to the astronaut training program, having visited the NASA Space Center in Houston and the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, with astronaut and former skater Jan Davis. Besides, there is no room for error. "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. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Bequette had once visited as a kid when Arkansas football visited USC. 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. Morning spring practices, grueling summer workouts and a competitive fall camp filled with newcomers and established veterans alike have finally led to this. 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. Thomas was the first (and so far, only) Black woman to win the championship. Debra Janie Thomas, famously known as Debi Thomas, was born on March 25, 1967, in New York Poughkeepsie. I hate to say it but I used to have a Tiger Woods Stanford golf shirt and hat, Bequette said. Chris Bequette, in 1996. She took a year off after graduating Stanford in 1991, another year off when her son was born in 1997. [11] Thomas followed this with a surgical residency at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital and an orthopedic surgery residency at the Martin Luther King Jr./Charles Drew University Medical Center in South Central Los Angeles. Thats the type of effort you love to see from Luc or any of those guys on that team, especially on the defense who have that same mentality.. At one point, Thomas switched her major to engineering. probably longer than any player has been at Cal, ever., Bequette came to Cal from Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2015 and played for the Bears through 2019. I just kind of look forward to the future. Undoubtedly, Debi is one sure and passionate woman because if it wasnt for her passion and dedication, she could never do skating and engineering simultaneously. When it was all said and done, however, Bequettes desire to play college football took priority over all else. Apart from that, Debi has beautiful black eyes and black eyes. Tuesday evening June 29, 2010. Help keep Debi Thomas and Christopher Bequette profile up to date. The second triple was not perfect and by her own admission, Thomas gave up on the rest of the program. Thomas relocated to Boulder, Colorado in the winter of 198788 to prepare for the Olympics. At this point Ive kind of gotten over it. Some parts of her story, have been blown out of proportion, Bequette said, including the reason he lived with his father through high school. Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. She spent the next year preparing for Step I of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons' exam and working at King-Drew Medical Center as a junior-attending-physician specialist. Then, worked at King-Drew Medical Center as a junior-attending-physician specialist. [9] By winning the bronze medal, Thomas became the first black athlete to win any medal at the Winter Olympics. I was telling him how great Champaign is, Bequette said. Debi Thomas attends the Toast To 135 Years Of Thomas' English Muffins at The Muffin House on April 23, 2015 in New York City. But he's actually done remarkably well.". (Skaters today typically do both.) Figure Skater, Physician (orthopedic surgeon), World Figure Skating World Champion (1986). Luckily, the ball popped out.. Debi Thomas has an estimated net worth of $500 thousand that she earned from her skating career. Debi loved staking from a very early age and has actively participated in various skating competitions since age five. Thomas was one of the best figure skaters, competing against people who are household names to this day. Thomas won bronze, making her the first Black athlete to medal in the Winter Olympics. This weekend, Thomas will cap her. husband: Chris Bequette Debi Thomas Debi was born in Poughkeepsie, New York on March 25, 1967. [8] The second triple was not perfect and by her own admission, Thomas gave up on the rest of the program. 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. Bequette started his Cal career with Sonny Dykes as his head coach. [11] 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 2018, when the Bears defense finished No. Then, she was once married to Chris Bequette, a sports attorney, and is now executive team trainer at ACN Sac Global. In the long program, she made mistakes on a number of jumps and placed fourth in that segment of the competition. But it's 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. At the age of 5, she started learning skating by Barbara Toigo Vitkovits at Eastridge in San Jose. "I feel sometimes like I've taken five years off," Thomas said. Soon, the Cal coaches offered him a scholarship. The name is Ethan and Austin Looney, they are living with Thomas in southwest Virginia. Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do, Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more. McGowan would remain her coach until she retired from amateur competition at age 21. Luc was born on the day she was scheduled to begin her residency. Debi started participating in skating competitions when she was 12 years old, which means her career started early. quotes, Overall, she finished third and won the bronze medal, behind Witt and Canadian skater Elizabeth Manley (Thomas fell from first place going into the long program to third place overall in the final standings). 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. She left the family when Luc was 13 and he remained with his dad at that point. She skated professionally for two years after the 1988 Games and eventually retired in 1992. That was about Dad being more familiar with football, he said. Thomas placed fifth in the World Championships in 1985 and won gold in 1986. As a figure skater, Thomas won bronze at the 1988 Olympic Games, becoming the first Black athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. Thomas began figure skating when she was five, she told Holland Sentinel. Cals baseball coach has not asked him to try out for the team. Bequette lived in Champaign from August 2007 to 2013. She was dreaming of being a doctor from her childhood and after completing high-level education, enrolled at Stanford University. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? 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. T Thomas married sports attorney Chris Bequette in the fall of 1996. [5] In 1986, she received a Candace Award for Trailblazing from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.[6]. Baseball star McClure starting new athletic career with Illini football. Thomas placed fifth in the World Championships in 1985 and won gold in 1986. Born in 1967, Debi is currently 54 years old. After their relationship ended, she married a sports attorney, Chris Bequette, in autumn 1996. Privacy Policy. Figured that was it.. She got hold of a gun and fired it to the ground. Not so surprisingly, she secured second place despite the injury, which deserves applause. Hes just a good guy to be around, said Cal coach Justin Wilcox, whose tenure began in Year 3 of the Bequette Era. Currently, Debi lives in a small house with her fiance and his two sons in a small house. That ship has sailed, Good Morning, Illini Nation: New 2024 offer out. At the end of my skating career, I had done a lot of juggling at Stanford and I hadn't really learned how to study for medical school.". It was kind of weird because we found out through Twitter when we were home for Christmas break., I thank the old staff for recruiting me and getting me here, but I love the staff I have now, Bequette said. She graduated from Stanford in 1991 with a degree in engineering and from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 1997. The son of Chris Bequette and Debi Thomas, Luc moved to Little Rock, Ark., in 2013. Plus, as a medical specialist in a small town, she doesn't exactly have a lot of patients coming in. But with the two nose guards still absent and true freshman Brett Johnson under his wing, Bequette has emerged as more than just a competent replacement for Palmer. 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. When Debi turned 5, she started to take an intrest in doctoring. The Bay Area is a really cool place. Debi was very hardworking because she didnt leave her dream as well, as she gave preference to her studies and fulfilled her parents dream. After she retired from amateur skating, she won World Champion twice and some other competitions. A Similarly, after winning various competitions continuously, Debi wins ABCs Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year Award. The skater was first represented at the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club in 1983 and began her professional life. In February 1989, Thomas ranked 12th in the Q Score athlete standings, the only woman in the top 22. "But it taught me that I don't have to be in a rush to reach my goals.". His initial thoughts were, I dont know if this guy can play D-line. The more he saw me move, he decided I could, Bequette said. 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. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Debi Thomas in 2022. Bequette has been invaluable as a veteran on a defensive line that lost its top player, Brett Johnson, for the season because of a hip injury sustained in a car accident. By winning the bronze medal, Thomas became the first black athlete to win any medal at the Winter Olympics. And Thomas, even though they were dating, prescribed him pills. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Debi Thomas made history as the first African-American athlete to win a medal at any Winter Olympics. Thomas committed to medical school before her skating career ended. They visit on the phone every now and then, and Bequette has only good things to say about her. Joakim Noah Bio: NBA, Team Ambassador, Girlfriend & Net Worth. She might also use her engineering and medical background to develop arthroscopy tools and/or prosthetic devices and joints. Thomas, an Olympic bronze medalist in figure skating,considered the best Black figure skater of her generation, went from extreme highs to extreme lows. Her full Before divorcing, they had a son named Christopher Jules "Luc" Bequette (b. Bequettes grandfather, George, was the trendsetter the first of the family to don cardinal and white. While practicing in Richlands, Thomas met the father of a boy she was treating for a broken wrist. Reaching this point was a challenge, she admits. The 34-year-old Stanford graduate is working as an orthopedic surgical resident at a Los Angeles hospital. The pair tied the knot in autumn 1996 and welcome a baby boy into their life. 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. debi thomas husband, chris bequettegetting married in tanzania. Who is Lee Dae-hoon? At first skating in a local mall in California, at 10, she signed with her coach Alex McGowan and represented the Los Angeles Skating Club. Chance of rain 90%. 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), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Cal player Luc Bequette has a famous mom and a seven-year college football career. 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