[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 24, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E75-E76]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPION RUDY GALINDO

                                 ______


                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 24, 1996

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding 
achievement of my constituent, Rudy Galindo who--as of Saturday, 
January 20, in his native city of San Jose, California--became the 
reigning U.S. figure skating champion.
  While that accomplishment alone is worthy of accolades and 
admiration, it is even more praiseworthy when one considers the 
personal tragedy and professional obstacles Rudy had to overcome to 
capture the gold medal at this year's national championship.
  Rudy first rose to national prominence in the skating world when he 
and Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi combined their talents to 
win the 1989 and 1990 pairs competition.
  Following their success, both skaters embarked on solo careers. But 
Rudy had much more to contend with than the adversaries he would face 
on the ice.
  Personal tragedy struck the Galindo family in 1993 when his father 
suffered a fatal heart attack and his brother died from symptoms 
related to AIDS that same year. Rudy had already lost his coach, Jim 
Hulick, to cancer in 1989. If that were not enough, another of Rudy's 
coaches, Rick Inglesi, died of AIDS in 1995.
  Despite his personal loss and professional setbacks, Rudy persevered, 
even though the odds were often not in his favor.
  To win the national championship, he had to best a field of 
nationally recognized skaters, including two former national champions.
  Unlike many of his competitors, Rudy could not afford some of the 
advantages available to other skaters who had secured the financial 
backing of sponsors and skating organizations to subsidize their 
training costs.
  Rudy paid for his own choreographer, his own costumes, and his own 
music, and got his sister, Laura Galindo, to serve as his coach. To 
cover the costs of his career, Rudy taught skating to children in his 
spare time. He lived with his mother and rode his bike to work.
  In spite of the obstacles he encountered, San Jose's Rudy Galindo--
bolstered by the highly charged cheers of a hometown audience--skated 
into the history books last Saturday night, becoming the first Mexican-
American to win the national championship.

[[Page E76]]

  With the athleticism of a Michael Jordan and the grace of a Mikhail 
Baryshnikov, Rudy skated his way to the national crown, completing 
eight triple jumps while gliding to the music of Swan Lake. His 
artistic and physical talents earned him the only two perfect scores 
handed out by the judges at the competition.
  Rudy disappointed only his competitors and the odds-makers who had 
labeled him a long shot.
  But Rudy beat the odds, and in doing so he has joined the ranks of 
other great skaters from the Bay Area, most notably Peggy Fleming, 
Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, and Debi Thomas.
  On and off the ice, Rudy Galindo has demonstrated the courage and 
perseverance of a national champion.

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