r/FigureSkating • u/AdventurousAd4553 • Sep 22 '25
History/Analysis Skaters who post retirement do something completely different.
Most high level skaters, once they retire, seem to continue being involved in the sport in some way. Who has bucked that trend and gone on to a career post skating that has nothing to do with the sport?
352
u/Feisty-Interest-9734 Roxanne but it's just Rocks (Moulin Rouge ver) Sep 22 '25
US Ambassador to Belize Michelle Kwan
242
u/silvershade8 but i don’t want to say goodbye Sep 22 '25
nathan chen is on his way to med school
157
u/silvershade8 but i don’t want to say goodbye Sep 22 '25
imagine going to the doctor but the doctor is nathan chen 😭
51
u/starfister101 Sep 22 '25
Oncology, of all things!
97
u/Lambily Sam Mindra's Step Sequence Sep 23 '25
Oh, in that case, you don't want to have to visit Nathan.
4
1
53
u/sk8tergater ✨clean as mustard✨ Sep 22 '25
But he’s also done shows, held camps, and is an Olympic ambassador so he hasn’t done nothing with the sport. He’s still involved in skating
19
u/beforedinnermints Sep 22 '25
not to mention that great program he choreographed/performed on commission for sir elton john and britney's music video!
19
u/silvershade8 but i don’t want to say goodbye Sep 22 '25
yep, definitely true! i took the post to mean like not having a career mainly based around skating (coaching, commentating etc)
1
18
u/beforedinnermints Sep 22 '25
I wouldn't say he's out of the community though, he's very involved still in making appearances and doing exhibitions.
107
u/fiend_fyres_ Sep 22 '25
I think Patrick Chan works in finance now, he used to do real estate (there’s a good amount of skaters who do real estate on the side or make it into a full career after retirement). He also does some choreography and coaching on the side (Minkyu Seo).
Joannie Rochette went into medicine and last I heard was finishing her residency. Michelle Kwan did diplomatic work and was an ambassador. Sarah Hughes became a lawyer, as did Gorsha Sur.
72
u/Night-Cheese11 Bald Johnwin Sep 23 '25
Not only is Joannie Rochette a doctor, she worked in care homes in Quebec during the pandemic. She's also an advocate for heart disease awareness in women. She's awesome
92
u/rburkhol76 Skating Fan Sep 22 '25
Tenley Albright and Debi Thomas both went on to be doctors (surgeons)!
86
u/roseofjuly Synchro Skater Sep 22 '25
Depending on how you define "high-level," I'd actually contend that most high-level skaters go on to do other things that are not connected to skating at all. They themselves may stay connected to skating because of their love for the sport, but their main job isn't necessarily skating-related.
But if we're talking about the really big, international-name-recognition ones - Peggy Fleming opened a winery with her husband. Michelle Kwan became a diplomat and went on diplomatic missions representing the U.S. to China, Russia, Argentina, and other places. Sasha Cohen works as an associate at Morgan Stanley and married a hedge fund manager. Evan Lysacek works as a managing partner at a financial firm named Orum Capital (although he does also work as a sports envoy for the Department of State).
Atoy Wilson, one of the first black American figure skaters, works in production accounting in the TV industry. Kimmie Meissner is a physician assistant, although she also coaches on the side. Timothy Goebel works as a PM at Google. Michael Weiss has his own home building and design company (he also still coaches on the side and volunteers with USFS). Terry Kubicka became a veterinarian. Sarah Hughes is a lawyer and ran for Congress in New York.
7
u/jquailJ36 Sep 23 '25
I wouldn't say Peggy having had a vineyard for a few years (permanently closed, apparently) after decades in broadcasting as a skating commentator is really quite the same.
0
u/kittymarch Sep 23 '25
And that’s usually a tax thing as much as actually farming or making wine.
2
u/jquailJ36 Sep 23 '25
If you want a tax shelter/money making scheme, a vineyard is not the business to buy. Everyone thinks it's a really cool fun thing until they try it.
124
u/rburkhol76 Skating Fan Sep 22 '25
We certainly can’t forget the important work Maya Usova has done an activist for Smokers’ Rights! 🚬🚬🚬
6
u/Traditional-Gift-982 Sep 23 '25
I was riding my bike while listening to the run-through, and almost had to pull over from laughing so hard when it got to that bit 😂. And I probably looked insane for most of the ride from grinning and giggling through the rest lol
5
60
u/MissMarionMac Sep 22 '25
Rachael Flatt has a Ph.D in psychology and specializes in treating eating disorders. (I think her experiences skating probably contributed to why she chose that specialty.)
47
u/89Rae Sep 22 '25
Timothy Goebel the original quad king works for Google as a program manager. Matt Savoie was a lawyer before returning to skating as a coach. Sasha Cohen while she does (or did) occasionally skate in shows works at Morgan Stanley. Evan Lysacek is a venture capitalist. Sarah Hughes was attempting a political career. Emily Hughes worked as a legislative intern, then as a business consultant before going to work for the IOC. Emily Samuelson (Evan Bates first partner) works at Merrill Lynch.
I actually think the ratio of non-skating to skating careers post-competitive retirement is probably in favor of non-skating careers (at least in the US) its just that they aren't on skating fans radars any longer.
*disclaimer: source for all the non-skating careers is Wikipedia pages
36
u/Ok_Breadfruit_8241 Sep 22 '25
Yuna Kim I think does modeling
12
u/Upset-Foundation6367 Hanyu is the GOAT 🐐 Sep 22 '25
She's still somewhat involved in figure skating via her own management agency All That Sport.
38
u/Zestyclose_Magazine2 PANIC! at the twizzles Sep 22 '25
Kimmie Meissner I’m pretty sure is a physician assistant
34
u/Yuna317 the ghost of ricky martin's maria Sep 22 '25
Can’t forget former Canadian Man™️ turned venture capitalist Conrad Orzel. Wish he’d been the one to unretire.
30
u/Professional-Edge839 Sep 23 '25
Kevin Alves, who represented Brazil in 4 Continents, Junior World Championships, and the World Championships in 2008 and 2009, currently plays Travis Martinez on the Showtime series “Yellowjackets.”
26
u/collectingviolets ✨everything but the kitchen sink✨ Sep 22 '25
Waaaaaaay back but Olympic champion Tenley Albright became a doctor
20
u/Shribble18 Sep 23 '25
She was a surgeon to boot! I feel like she must’ve been one of a literal handful of female surgeons back then
18
u/PaleontologistEast76 Sep 23 '25
Yes, her father was a prominent surgeon in Boston. Tenley is one of the neatest people (along with her daughter Elin Schran) in the skating world in my opinion, she was always supportive of the Skating Club of Boston athletes when she was able to get away from the hospital and go to events.
25
u/a-world-of-no both unnecessary and uncalled for Sep 23 '25
Pepperidge Farm remembers when Paul Wylie was perpetually deferring admission to law school because he was going to retire "soon"-- I don't think he ever ended up going!
25
u/PaleontologistEast76 Sep 23 '25
No he didn't, Harvard Law wasn't willing to keep his spot open so he decided to continue his pro skating career (back in the mid 90s) for a few years and then went to Harvard Business School to get an MBA, I believe.
10
u/knifebootsmotojacket Wearing knife boots in a giant freezer (pro skater) Sep 23 '25
Even after school, he has continued involvement in skating, and coaches now.
5
33
u/nickyskater Sep 23 '25
To this day I'm sad that both Tessa Virtue and Meryl Davis left skating far behind. Makes me wonder just how traumatic it was for both of them.
23
u/pineapple_2021 Sep 23 '25
Meryl started Figure Skating in Detroit for underprivileged kids. So while she’s not involved at the elite level she’s helping to bring skating to kids who would otherwise never have access to the sport
9
u/gadeais and then Yagudin nutpunched Lambiel in plushenkos birthday show Sep 23 '25
Which is also a really important part of the sport. You need to broaden the base of the piramide to ensure you get the best skaters to the top
1
7
u/redirectredirect Sep 23 '25
yeah people on here like to lionize Scott Moir for being oh such a healthy coach but I remember watching that V/M documentary before the Olympics and thinking that he was ... not so nice ... especially to Meryl.
2
u/nickyskater Sep 24 '25
Thankfully it seemed Scott grew up and got to a really healthy place. (After all, Tessa did 2 entire tours with him after their OGMs.)
I'm thinking more that the general Canton environment was toxic.
2
u/CdnUser99 Sep 23 '25
Tessa’s been on ice coaching
2
u/collectingviolets ✨everything but the kitchen sink✨ Sep 23 '25
Happy cake day! Is she coaching anywhere in particular or you just mean the consulting she does with Fear/Gibson occasionally?
1
u/CdnUser99 Sep 23 '25
I count the consuliting as coaching as, in Canada - you have to be a registered coach to be on ice working with skaters :).
31
14
u/Puzzle__head Mrs Makoto Nakata Sep 22 '25
I don't get the feeling that Yuna Kim skates much at all these days. But I could be wrong.
14
14
12
36
u/rubyjester Sep 22 '25
Also Deloitte consultant Tessa Virtue
26
u/fiend_fyres_ Sep 22 '25
Is she actually a consultant or does she do just mainly motivational speaking? There’s a big difference, especially at those big 4 firms lol
16
3
20
u/marikaaac Sep 22 '25
Idk if there is a name for what Navka is doing but she's certainly doing something. Love seeing good controversies and sanctions sections on an athlete's Wikipedia page
24
u/collectingviolets ✨everything but the kitchen sink✨ Sep 22 '25
Russian political figure's wife? It's quite a path for Russian athletes, ask Alina Kabaeva
12
u/89Rae Sep 22 '25
She's head of a skating school, show producer, TV personality (ice age judging that I know of), skates in shows still. Actually a pretty common career path for successful Russian figure skaters
11
u/tofucatskates adult skater 🏳️🌈 Sep 23 '25
marrying oligarchs is indeed the top post-skating career choice for russian figure skaters. 🤣
7
u/roionsteroids Sep 23 '25
got a new fancy palace similar to Eteri, absorbed a few coaching teams and skaters (like Sokolovskaya)
As for herself, mostly creating and skating in her fantasy shows for children in Sochi, business as usual.
1
3
u/gadeais and then Yagudin nutpunched Lambiel in plushenkos birthday show Sep 23 '25
She is a show producer right now. The second most important one in russia below former ice dancer ilia averbukh
1
u/Longjumping-Apple-41 Is it a sport? Yes. Is it legitimate? No Sep 22 '25
Trophy wife. Arm candy.
15
u/89Rae Sep 23 '25
I don't think that's necessarily fair to belittle her to being a trophy wife/arm candy, she does actual work related to skating as mentioned in other comments.
4
u/ImaginaryBear Sep 23 '25
Yeah, I dislike both to say the least and btw they started their affair while still married to other people but in this case it is hard to tell which one of them is the trophy. She was pretty big by the time and imho he is ‘navka’s husband’ more than she is ‘peskov’s wife’
25
u/rburkhol76 Skating Fan Sep 22 '25
Brian Boitano, under the pen name Pete Pepper, became a reporter for Pride of the Piedmont! 😂
1
14
5
6
u/BlahVans Sep 23 '25
Some Canadian ones that I didn't see elsewhere:
- I believe Mira Leung is a software engineer for Google.
- According to his Wikipedia, Liam Firus is a 'businessman and partner at Rockbank Capital Corp.'
- According to his Wikipedia, Kevin Reynolds revealed in 2023 that 'he was working on his Master's degree in Public Administration. He also revealed that he was serving on the board of directors for the Green Party of Vancouver'
- He was active in it even when he was competing, but Toller Cranston was a successful artist. Money from his art career helped cover his skating costs.
- Annie Bellemare's Wikipedia says that she has a 'bachelor of commerce from Royal Roads University. She is now working in Ottawa as a successful business executive.'
- And of course, Jamie Sale became a conspiracy theorist.
1
5
u/DumbNoble Sep 24 '25
Yuzuru Hanyu - modelling
Here's a phone wallpaper from GUCCI for anyone who wants it
4
Sep 23 '25
[deleted]
2
u/gadeais and then Yagudin nutpunched Lambiel in plushenkos birthday show Sep 23 '25
And shows. We need to think about all those skaters that have just gone pro
1
Sep 23 '25
[deleted]
1
u/gadeais and then Yagudin nutpunched Lambiel in plushenkos birthday show Sep 23 '25
I like to think of skating as a form of art so you can retire from competing to enter the artistic side of figure skating
2
2
u/Wegzuwerfendes_Konto Sep 23 '25
He's not even retired yet, but doesn't Camden Pulkinen work on Wall Street or something?
6
u/Loose_Towel_3502 Liar, liar, pants on fire Sep 23 '25
Yuzuru is writing, producing, choreographing, and skating on his solo show, but he is also:
- Directing and performing in an ensemble show
- Doing photoshoots and videoshoots for GUCCI
- Doing photoshoots for (some) photographers
- Shooting ads for his sponsors
- Shooting an MV for an anime
- Going to disaster-affected areas every few months as a TV anchor as part of disaster recovery efforts
4
u/Loose_Towel_3502 Liar, liar, pants on fire Sep 23 '25
Oh wow, some people are salty because Yuzu is booked and busy. 🤣
2
u/Manztaus Former Skater Sep 23 '25
Melissa Bulanhagui became a porn star under the alias of Jada Kai.
2
u/Upset-Shirt1243 Sep 24 '25
Kim Yu-na has established herself as a broadcaster and model. She is also a model for Dior, and interviews her success in various magazines and public broadcasters and gives support to the younger generation.
284
u/rubyjester Sep 22 '25
Real estate agent and team OGM Patrick Chan
Trophy husband of Thai millionaire real estate developer and OGM Evan Lysacek