Skating to Retirement: Drop in With Debbie, April ’20 Edition

Dear Readers,

We often refer to “skating through life” as a cop-out way to live. It’s the person whose parents paid for everything or they are the person that always does things the easiest laziest way. We think of it as someone who cuts corners to get ahead. When I talk about Sally Whitson “skating through life” I am talking about the complete opposite. Sally literally skated. Not only did she roller skate but she became a champion skater. Sally was not the young child that started skating with lots of expensive classes and coaches. She wasn’t primed to be a star from a young age. In fact, she didn’t start competing until she was 40 years old. Sally worked long difficult hours to accomplish her craft, and she did it well. Readers, what is a skill that you worked to perfect?

Sally-Whitson-a

Sally-age-3-a

Sally’s story begins at age three on ice at the Rutland, Vermont city ice rink which was two blocks behind her home. “It was something we did for fun living in Vermont”. It wasn’t competition; it was family and friends skating for enjoyment. In her teen years, she was still ice skating. But she had others interests, as well. She would skate in the back yards of friend’s homes and later on the rink at the University of Vermont; it was a skating rink open to the public. Still she said, “It was just for fun – a creative outlet”. In those early years, she would occasionally go roller skating – again, just for fun. “It was good exercise.” She also was a majorette for her high school for three years. During her senior year she taught other students how to be majorettes. Her teaching won accolades when her students were all part of the band chosen to march for President Kennedy’s funeral procession in 1963.

Sally-Majorette-high-school-a

Then, in 1975, Sally’s life swerved in a new direction. She was 36 years old and married and her family transplanted to Longmont, Colorado. Her husband was a design engineer with IBM and a number of employees were transferred to this area. Sally’s own career progressed from accountant to buyer to purchasing manager – but she had never imagined herself as a competitive skater. What dreams of yours changed as you aged, Readers?

That year, one of Sally’s teenage sons was working at the Longmont ice/roller skating rink. He called her from work one day and said, “Mom, you were so good on skates. Why don’t you come down and try it?” So, Sally donned rental roller skates and tried it again – “just for exercise” she said. In the weeks that followed, Sally continued to use the skating rink as an outlet for exercise and relieving stress.

One day, the skating rink manager commented to Sally that she needed to upgrade for the skill level she was trying to perform. “What you are trying to do with rental skates is impossible, he told her. “You need better skates.” Sally and her husband had four teenage children at the time. “I didn’t have money to invest in skates,” so she told the manager to put together an inexpensive pair. With a pair of used skates as the base, he added the correct wheels – at a cost of $50. Good roller skates, at that time, ranged at a cost from $250 to $700 and higher.

Sally’s mindset changed too. “It would be fun if I had a coach,” she thought. She found skating coach, Jim Giardini, out of Denver, and he began to help her develop her roller-skating skills – again, “just for fun and exercise”, she said. Her coach recognized that Sally had skating experience and started to try and convince her to enter skating competitions. Sally’s first response was that she had nothing to wear. “Well that was the wrong thing to say,” Sally said. Her coach and his wife/skating partner had competed and won numerous regional and national rolling skating competitions. “He had costumes coming out his ears,” Sally said laughing. Finally, with hesitation, Sally said, “We will try it,” with an emphasis on the word “try”.

Sally-with-Rick-1987-a

So, at age 40, she was introduced to a skating partner – Rick Hoyer – and the two of them practiced on the Broomfield skating rink regularly. After five months of working together, the coach said they were ready for their first competition. It was held in Broomfield; Colorado and the couple came in first for their age group. Throughout the next few years, every local competition they entered, they came in first or second. At this stage, Sally invested in a good pair of $700 roller skates. She was now making most of the costumes for herself and her partner.

$700-skates-a

After winning so many local meets, skaters advance to the regional level of competitions which includes competitors from ten states. The programs are organized by the United States Amateur Confederation of Roller Skating. Sally and her partner were now skating for the U.S. on Wheels Club. Their first regional meet was on the maple-wood floor at the Lincoln, Nebraska Coliseum. Sally said the competition was difficult and they didn’t do very well, “but we persevered”. By 1987, Sally and Rick reached the level where they were able to compete in that year’s Nationals Junior Olympics competition in Springfield, Missouri. Their perseverance paid off. For the next three years, Sally and Rick started placing –meaning they came in second, third or fourth place – in the regional meets. As an aside, this tiny, size-5 dress woman was now a grandma.

Sally-and-David-1991-a

After the third year of skating together, Rick had to stop skating and Sally met her new partner, David. He had never skated before, Sally said. However, David was determined. He would practice every night of the week compared to Sally’s practice schedule of two or three times a week. He was also fifteen years younger than Sally. This meant when they entered competitions, they entered in his age level, which meant Sally had to do much more difficult roller-skating dances. When they entered the local competitions, they would place with high scores. “I couldn’t believe we were doing as well as we were,” Sally said. Readers, did you learn a new skill later in life? Tell us, please.

They were now on their way to the regional competition – again in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sally’s husband, Chuck, who was very supportive of her rolling skating, told the duo, “If you win tonight, I will take you out to eat anywhere you want to go.” They did it – they won! David and his wife spent their winning night together and Chuck and Sally had their lovely date night at a French restaurant. They went to Sabaton’s, which at that time was located on Main Street in Longmont.

Sally-as-a-solo-dancer-and-she's-a-grandma-a

For the next nine years, Sally and David were regular winners at the regional competitions. Sally was also entering some solo performance matches and doing very well. They had also reached the level where they were beginning to compete in the National meets. Their first time at Nationals, they placed second. The second time in the Nationals competition, they won first place.

pins-and-badges-a

It was 1997, and they were practicing for their third Nationals meet, when a drastic moment changed their projection. Two weeks before the competition date, Sally slipped on some ice in the parking lot at her job. The fall caused her to break her fibula and dislocate her tibia. She had to go through three surgeries and months of physical therapy. Moreover, whenever she tried to wear her roller skates, the pressure on her ankle was two painful. This slip on the ice ended Sally’s roller-skating career.

Sally didn’t let this ruin her focus about life. “It was a wonderful memory that I could do it. It was a time when I was under a great deal of stress with life – raising the kids and work; skating was my creative outlet. My husband, my kids, and my boss – they were all behind it, so it was a part of me for that time in my life”. How do you handle life when it doesn’t go the way you planned, Readers?

Sally, now 80, said she takes life “one day at a time”. For her, that path includes bowling and traveling. She often joins the Longmont Senior Center for its trips around the world. As well, she vacations on her own or with friends. Her travels have taken her to South America, Australia, New Zealand and three times to Europe.

Sally occasionally eats at the Longmont Senior Center lunchroom called the Park View Café. She also performs many different volunteer roles at her church. Sally has skated, if you will allow me the pun, into her retirement years with friends, interests and a personal adage of “Thank God for what you can do and what you can bring to others”. Readers, what skill of yours do you share with others?

When I talked with Sally about doing this blog she said, “I don’t understand why it’s worthy of writing about.” I had to chuckle. I said, “Sally, this blog is about interesting and inspiring people. If I write this blog another twenty years, I don’t think I will meet another person who started competing in their 40s, at the grandma stage, who was a roller-skating champion.”

yoshi-via-driver

For the January 2020 blog, you heard about Via driver, Jim Yoshihara (Yoshi). He and other drivers have made some changes to help all of us through this time of coronavirus concerns. Via Mobility buses are still rolling:

The dedicated and caring drivers are still behind the wheel.
Passengers are limited to one at a time, when possible.
Buses are sanitized with disinfectant between trips.
Through the end of April, Via is waiving the fare.
Via is also available to other human services providers to deliver meals and food to their clients at no cost. (Call Lisa Bitzer at 303-725-4160)

Susan-Bogatin

Last month you met Susan Bogatin. Her story is “amazing” and “interesting”. These comments were shared by readers Sheble, Mark, Doug, Jean, Darlene, Joyce and Joe.

Sharron: I read your blog about Susan and was totally blown away by her ability to stay positive after all she has endured! She is a strong example for all to follow.

Leif: I just finished reading you latest blog and it inspired me greatly. Thank you very much.

Sally: another great story about an interesting person. You are amazing.

Susana: Thanks for your wonderful blogs with such inspiring stories. So much to learn from Susan.

Until next month, may peace be at your side,

Debbie Noel

We have several ways to interact with Debbie!

Email her at DroppingInWithDebbie@gmail.com

Send your letters to:

Debbie Noel
C/o Longmont Senior Center
910 Longs Peak Avenue
Longmont, Colorado 80501

City of Longmont’s recommendations concerning the coronavirus based on CDC recommendations: COVID-19 News

You can regularly check in at https://www.longmontcolorado.gov/coronavirus to get the city’s latest updates.