Rory Flack: Ebony on Ice Figure Skating Pioneer

While interacting with people on Instagram, I often get contacted by individuals who have either carved out a place in history for themselves or have a connection to someone who has. So this segment is to give those people a chance to tell those stories for themselves. Unedited and raw, this recording is a conversation I was privileged enough to have with Figure Skating legend Rory Flack. She has a fantastic story and is the first African American to perform a black flip on Ice in a professional setting. Flack began skating at age 5. At age 13, she met the pioneer for African Americans in figure skating, Mabel Fairbanks. Fairbanks inspired Flack to continue skating after wanting to stop at an early age due to racism. Two years later, Debi Thomas, Bobby Beauchamp and Rory Flack skated to three medals at the US National Championships. This was the first time three African Americans competed at the Nationals, and they all earned spots on the international team. In 1986, Flack won the junior bronze medal at the U.S. Championships. She also competed internationally, winning the silver medal at the 1987 Grand Prix International St. Gervais. Her performance at the 1987 U.S. Championships attracted national attention and earned her an appearance with footage on Saturday Night Live. It was the first time a figure skater was on the show. If you have an exciting story or are connected to a fascinating figure from Black History and would like to be featured on the show, you can contact me via: Instagram: @blackhistorybuff777 Email: [email protected] Telegram: https://t.me/BHB777 You can contact Rory at: Tel: +01 3464207168 m.me/realroryflack http://www.coloroficepro.com If you've enjoyed this or any of the other episodes, you can support the show and gain exclusive extras at: Patreon. P.s As promised here is the link to Rory's backflip: https://youtu.be/NUrsMasS1dkThe Black History Buff Podcast is a fully independent project. We aren't backed by a publishing house, advertising partners or a major enterprise. For our existence, we depend on our loyal listeners – we depend on you.So, if you enjoy our content and want to support the creation of more, join our history village and support our mission to share hidden stories from Black Culture, join my free Patreon:Membership benefits include:Early access to new episodesBonus episodes and contentBe part of the creation of new episodes Guest membershipsGet featured In Episode End credits Ad Free Episodeshttps://www.patreon.com/BlackhistorybuffJoin my newsletter to be kept up to date with the latest posts https://steadyhq.com/en/blackhistoryFind me on Social Mediahttps://linktr.ee/BlackHistoryBuffBuy me a Coffeehttps://ko-fi.com/theblackhistorybuffpodcastThank you for listening, sharing, and joining us on our mission.Stay Blessed,King Kurus, The Black History BuffAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy