Tonya Harding

1002 Words3 Pages

Meghan Kendrick
Martin 1
English Honors
28 September 2017
Tonya Harding Tonya Harding is known as one of the infamous athletes in American history. She's known more for the despicable act she committed against a fellow competitor than for her athletic ability. Tonya Harding was an Olympic hero, but was implicated in the Nancy Kerrigan attack, and was forced to find a way to bounce back. In her early days, Tonya Harding was an amazing athlete. She was the first American woman to land a triple axel in competition for figure skating. It was a big deal. Tonya was one of the best female figure skaters in the country. She even dropped out of high school when she was a sophomore to be a better figure skater. According to “Tonya Harding biography.com,”
The following year, she was promoted to the U.S. Nationals, where she won her first major title and qualified for the 1994 Olympics. After Kerrigan qualified for the Olympics, Harding’s jealousy started to intensify. Nancy Kerrigan was painted as the ideal athlete, coming from a quiet and respectable upbringing. Kerrigan started to acquire many commercial endorsements, allowing her to become wealthy. Tonya Harding was very jealous. She wasn't painted as that picture-perfect athlete, she was just one of those people who skated. After some time had passed, her jealousy got the best of her and she realized that the only way for her to become famous was to eradicate her competition. With the help of her husband (at the time) and her bodyguard, Tonya helped orchestrate an attack on Nancy. An article in the New York Daily News titled “New Evidence Emerges in Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan Scandal” provides evidence of Tonya’s involvement in the attack. The source states, “An envelope featuring handwritten notes by former figure skater Tonya Harding has surfaced,” and goes on to explain that enclosed in the notes were the address and name of the rink where Nancy Kerrigan usually practiced. Some commonly known information is that one day after she was finished with practice, Nancy Kerrigan exited the rink at a Detroit
According to biography.com, in between 1994 and 2002 Harding guest starred on TV shows like Roseanne, Larry King Live, and The Weakest Link. Following that, in 2003, Harding made her professional boxing debut. Her career was short-lived, but she was trying to make something out of life and to center her anger/jealousy in an aggressive, but appropriate, way. biography.com also said that Tonya’s website makes it clear that she still skates. She can still land a triple axel; she wanted to be herself, and she does that through skating. In her own words, “I don't want to compete. I’d like to have my own skating show, though.” This shows that she has bounced back from her dark place. She has continued to do what she loves, even though she can't do it competitively. That doesn't matter to her. She stays true to herself and continues to

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