Yvonne Dowlen is my skating idol!!

[looplover]

I am just in awe of this woman.

I think she is 82 now? Maybe 83?

I just watched her AN freeskate on icenetwork (Masters Novice and Junior Ladies - Class V).

Seriously, it brought a tear to my eye. She's such an amazing skater and what a flip she did! I wish I were as good, and I'm over 40 years younger.

:bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow: :bow:

[Mrs Redboots]

She is wonderful, isn't she? We have a skater like that in the UK, Joy Shellard, and I would kill to skate as fast and as confidently as she does, even though she is 80 this year.

[doubletoe]

I got to skate a few freestyle sessions with Richard Dwyer ("Mr. Debonair" of Ice Capades fame), who is now 72 or so. Just like me, he is having issues with his double salchow right now, but his axel is great! It's good to see that the age limit in this sport is not always what people think.

[dbny]

I am a terrible nit picker, and at first that's what I was doing as I watched her skate. Then at some point I realized that I was just taken away by her overall performance - her flow, grace, and guts! WOW! Does anyone know how long she has been skating? I thought that by her age, if I am lucky enough to make it that far, I would have given up skating and gone on to something safer like cross country skiing. She is truly an inspiration.

[techskater]

There was an article written about her in the local Chicago paper during the last ANs. I think she's been skating 70+ years

[Figureskates]

I saw her skate live at Lake Placid and I actually had about a 10 minute chat with her the next day.

She was a very delightful and very interesting person to talk to.

I hope I have it all together when I am her age!

[coskater64]

Yvonne has been skating a long time, I see her at least 3-4 times a week at my rink, she has been improving the last few months and her daughter Sherry came in and helped her prior to ANs. She works very hard and she is a very motivated skater, I always know I am on time on the American because I will check my 3 turns with Yvonne's. She is a gold dancer as well as being a Jr level free skater.(figures) I think she is still 82.:D