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.. As soon as Debi announced her bankruptcy in 2014, her life changed. In 1983, she began to represent the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club, which launched her career. Ive definitely been trying to get as good as I can at (nose guard), and Im going to do whatever it take to help us win games.. Despite that, it has never been easy for Debi, and she was the first African-American player in skating. She was the first African-American to hold U.S. National titles in ladies' singles figure skating. But Thomas believes she's not troubled, just free from the shackles she's put on herself to become a high achiever. At the time, her skating coach did not encourage her academic studies. The name is Ethan and Austin Looney, they are living with Thomas in southwest Virginia. She was the first female athlete to win those titles while attending college full-time since Tenley Albright in the 1950s. debi thomas husband, chris bequetteseat weaving calculator debi thomas husband, chris bequette. Debi Thomas is a 55 year old American Skater. She served on the advisory board of Athletes Against Drugs and the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Advisory Board. 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. Currently, Debi is somewhere in Virginia, living in a small house with her fiance. When she was 5 years old, Debi Thomas told her mother that she wanted be a doctor and a champion figure skater when she grew up. Debi secured the third position in the Olympics (Source: Getty Images). The technique is a little different (at nose guard), but hes got the right attitude about things as well. Although he grew up in Arkansas, Bequette had a sense of the Cal-Stanford rivalry as a youngster. Im definitely blessed to have good genes with my mom and everyone on my dads side of the family, Bequette said. Thomas married Brian Vander Hogen on March 15, 1988 in Boulder, Colorado. 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. "I'm not sure. Barack Obama still was president. No wonder Debi is one strong woman because she never gave up, no matter the situation. You don't look a day over 60, Good Morning, Illini Nation: Bracketology on the eve of March. Bequette was granted an additional year because of an injury. Just ask USC receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. See Josh Yuen covers football. 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. Back in 2010, Luc Bequette was a big smasher. She allowed her medical license to expire; otherwise, the board could've revoked it. Last year, one of the Cal quarterbacks played baseball. 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. It seems like every day I hear something new and crazy that shows how long Ive been in college, said Bequette, 24. Debi Thomas has won three World Professional Championships (1988, 1989, 1991) and was a bronze medalist in the 1987 Olympics. Debra Janine Thomas (born March 25, 1967) is an American former figure skater and physician. From then on, she was hooked on competitive skating. She is a member of famous with the age 55 years old group. [13] In September 2007, she began working at Carle Clinic in Urbana, Illinois. Many of Bequettes current teammates in Berkeley were in middle school. That was about Dad being more familiar with football, he said. "But it taught me that I don't have to be in a rush to reach my goals.". 2 at the helm. Bequette went to a camp at Berkeley and tried both sides of the line. Currently, Debi lives in a small house with her fiance and his two sons in a small house. When she was 5 years old, Debi Thomas told her mother that she wanted be a doctor and a champion figure skater when she grew up. Not only in skate, but Thomas is also a successful surgeon. Even though they represent her pride and success, she cannot show them. Bequettes future seems on a good path. She is the 1986 World champion, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion. Her full She rebounded at the World Championships, finishing a close second to East German skater Katarina Witt. Luckily, the ball popped out.. The son of Chris Bequette and Debi Thomas, Luc moved to Little Rock, Ark., in 2013. [8] The second triple was not perfect and by her own admission, Thomas gave up on the rest of the program. Rainfall around a half an inch. Thomas stated that she was "broke", having lost most of her savings through her two divorces and failed medical practice, and had lost custody of her son when he was 13. Debi Thoms had a good life when she married her first husband, Brian Vander. She skated professionally for two years after the 1988 Games and eventually retired in 1992. 1 seeds for Pac-12? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Former Cal mens hoops coach Campanelli dies at 84. The popular figure skater has lived a life of turmoil, ups-and-down, bankruptcy, and divorce. As a resident at L.A.'s Martin Luther King Jr./Charles Drew University Medical Center, she typically puts in 12-hour shifts, but 36-hour spans are not unusual, Thomas says. She briefly competed as a professional, but mostly wanted to focus on her medical career. . 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. Likewise, her shoe size is 9 in the United States and 8 in the United Kingdom. "We did this because we felt I needed to get used to being out there and handling the schedule," Thomas said. You name it, he played it. I wasn't a BeyHive member. She kept winning competitions and struck up a rivalry with German champion Katarina Witt. She had an excellent skating career and an excellent educational degree as well. At the age of 5, she started learning skating by Barbara Toigo Vitkovits at Eastridge in San Jose. Debi Thomas attends the Toast To 135 Years Of Thomas' English Muffins at The Muffin House on April 23, 2015 in New York City. Our 4100 team went to state, and we couldve placed, but our fastest guy ended up getting hurt a couple of days before the meet, Bequette said. Debra Janine Thomas (born March 25, 1967) is an American former figure skater and physician. Debi Thomas is best known for becoming the first African American to win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games in 1988. Debi Thomas is currently living in Terre Haute, Indiana with her husband and son, and is a practicing physician in that city . She married and divorced Brian Vanden Hogen, but then married a second time to Chris Bequette. She is the 1986 World champion, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion. [5] In 1986, she received a Candace Award for Trailblazing from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.[6]. The team did not have a nose guard on the roster. 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). It was his football dad who nudged him into wrestling to prepare him for the physicality of football, and he spent his spring seasons balancing baseball with track and field emphasis on track. Debi Thomas Thank you! Figure skating and medicine aren't that different after all. Now I think Im one of the biggest Cal fans on the team, he said. [14] During her medical career, while she was skilled at doing the procedures and well-liked by patients, she had difficulty working with other doctors due to her struggles with bipolar disorder, and went from clinic to clinic, never staying longer than one year. She left the family when Luc was 13 and he remained with his dad at that point. I never really worried about her. The couple has one son, Christopher Jules, who was born in 1997. . She was the first female athlete to win those titles while attending college full-time since Tenley Albright in the 1950s. Before divorcing, they had a son named Christopher Jules "Luc" Bequette (b. Her sun sign indicates the personality of being passionate, motivated, and confident. 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. I just know that I'm out of shape. Debi Thomas had earned a lot of money in her career, but due to some conditions, she is broke now. It worked. Imatorbhebhe asked Bequette about his old hometown. 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. Help us build our profile of Debi Thomas and Christopher Bequette! Debi Thoms had a happy marriage with her first husband, Brian Vander. "Part of the reason was my grades. Debi Thomas was born on 25 March 1967 in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. I was telling him how great Champaign is, Bequette said. 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. Contact him at. Thomas, who attended medical school at Northwestern, eventually figured it out. Bequette started his Cal career with Sonny Dykes as his head coach. So, how much is Debi Thomas worth at the age of 55 years old? Copyright 2023 The Daily Californian, The Independent Berkeley Student Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. As a female African American sports star of the 1980s, Debi won numerous awards. 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. She was the first African-American to hold U.S. National titles in ladies' singles figure skating. The year prior, she had come fifth. As of December 2010, Thomas was in private practice at ORTHO X-cellence Debra J. Thomas, MD, PC in Richlands, Virginia and has since ceased operation. 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. Yup, he was fast enough to compete in those too. Debi Thomas is a figure skater and physician, . Dr. Thomas has worked with the Women's Sports Foundation, and has always helped children's charities. An overachiever, Thomas became one of the few skaters at the time to go to college while simultaneously competing at a high level. Before it, Christopher was playing in California from 2015 to 2019. 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. One of Bequettes bombs went across Russell Street and into a yard. Debi Thomas real name: Debra Janine Thomas Height: 5'5''(in feet & inches) 1.651(m) 165.1(cm) , Birthdate(Birthday): March 25, 1967 , Age as on 2023: 55 Years 10 Months 28 Days Profession: Sports Persons (Figure Skater), Father: McKinley Thomas, Mother: Janice Thomas, School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, College: Charles R. Drew University, Married: Yes, Children: No [23], Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 21:38, University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital, Martin Luther King Jr./Charles Drew University Medical Center, "The Night When It All Slipped Away: A Year Ago, Debi Thomas Didn't Skate, or Behave, Like a Champion", "Exclusive: Olympic medalist Debi Thomas talks about her path to Virginia trailer", "Debi Thomas Wins World Skating Title; Chin Takes Third", "Books Or Blades, There's No Doubting Thomas", "Candace Award Recipients 1982-1990, Page 3", "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", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Debi_Thomas&oldid=1140802477, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 21:38. This is precisely what Debi Thomas found out. Thomas, by then broke, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She was raised by her mother, who was a computer programming analyst at Sunnyvale California. It was a little hard, Bequette said. In 1997, Debi joined the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, later attended the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital. But still, Debi managed to become an inspiration to many skating lovers and aspiring skaters. On 25th March 1967, Thomas was born to her parents McKinley Thomas and Janice Thomas. When the Pac-12 decided to cancel the 2020 season due to the pandemic, Bequette transferred to Boston College, where he started all 11 games for the Eagles. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Debi Thomas in 2022. They had a son named Christopher Jules "Luc" Bequette before divorcing. In the long program, she made mistakes on a number of jumps and placed fourth in that segment of the competition. The One That Got Away: How Luc Bequette turned rejection into an adventure. 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. quotes, Debi Thomas, M.D., grew up wanting to be a champion figure skater and a doctor, and she has succeeded as both. , money, salary, income, and assets. She is an actress, known for Nutcracker on Ice (2009), American Gladiators (1989) and Win, Lose or Draw (1987). Despite the demands of training and competing, she stuck to her plan. Bequette is the son of former Razorback offensive lineman Chris Bequette and Debbie Thomas, the 1988 Winter Olympic bronze medalist in figure skating. Soon, the Cal coaches offered him a scholarship. The Trojans are leading the Bears 14-0 and threatening to extend their lead late in the second quarter. Debi Thomas's net worth College athletes typically are given five years to play four seasons. The Popularity of Debi in the U.S. in the last 12 months (Source: Google). McGowan would remain her coach until she retired from amateur competition at age 21. She later told a reporter that she had daily run-ins with her coach over the proper balance between skating and school. She might also use her engineering and medical background to develop arthroscopy tools and/or prosthetic devices and joints. As per her birth chart, she is an Aries. We will discuss her childhood, career, education, personal life, and more. With the win, Cal became bowl-eligible: a primary goal head coach Justin Wilcox established in year No. But I can't because I have patients. She was crowned World Figure Skating champion in 1986, and twice won the U.S. National Figure Skating Champion title. Early life [ edit] And Thomas, even though they were dating, prescribed him pills. R Alex McGowan was Debis coach who trained her and guided her for the Olympics. Its the resume: This is Bequettes seventh season of college football and on Saturday he will play his 62nd career game. However, Debis mother has a significant role in shaping Debis career because her mother used to drive 100 miles a day and sacrificed her time between home, school, and the ice rink. Bequettes grandfather, George, was the trendsetter the first of the family to don cardinal and white. They will be moving to join her by year's end. 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. I was worried about my son, having to leave him. Her parents divorced when she was young. Husband/Spouse Name: Christopher Bequette (m. 1996-2010), Brian Vanden Hogen (m. 1988-1991) Kids/Children Name: Christopher Jules "Luc" Bequette: . Debi Thomas has an estimated net worth of $500 thousand that she earned from her skating career. 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. debi thomas husband, chris bequettegetting married in tanzania. Apart from that, Debi has beautiful black eyes and black eyes. The skater was first represented at the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club in 1983 and began her professional life. Thomas relocated to Boulder, Colorado in the winter of 198788 to prepare for the Olympics. As it was last season, the performances of Cals defense will dictate where this team lands come the seasons end. Thomas was one of the best figure skaters, competing against people who are household names to this day. His name is Jamie Looney, and they began a relationship. Privacy Policy. Thomas was diagnosed with bipolar disorder by April 2012. Some patients recognize Thomas from her former athletic life. However, after eight years of marriage, Debi divorced Brian, and in 1996 she married a handsome attorney, Chris Bequette. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) In February 1989, Thomas ranked 12th in the Q Score athlete standings, the only woman in the top 22. She has a net worth of $100,000-$1M. Web Policies, Careers, Accessibility, HHS Vulnerability Disclosure NLM, 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda MD 20894 NIH, HHS, FOIA, NLM Support Center, Last reviewed: 03 June 2015Last updated: 03 June 2015First published: 14 October 2003. 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. 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