Cathy Reed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathy Reed |
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Cathy and Chris Reed at the 2009 NHK Trophy
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| Personal information | |
| Country represented |  Japan |
| Born | June 5, 1987 Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States |
| Home town | Warren Township, New Jersey |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Former partner | Chris Reed |
| Former coach | Marina Zueva, Oleg Eipstein, Massimo Scali, Galit Chait Moracci, Alexei Gorshkov, Tyler Myles, John Kerr, Inese Bucevica, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Nikolai Morozov, Mathew Gates, Valter Rizzo, Andrew Stroukoff, Susan Kelley |
| Former choreographer | Igor Shpilband, Patti Wilcox, Galit Chait, Inese Bucevica, Nikolai Morozov |
| Skating club | Arctic Edge FSC Kinoshita Club Tokyo |
| Former skating club | Kawagoe Figure Skating Club |
| Former training locations | Canton, Michigan Hackensack, New Jersey |
| Began skating | 1994 |
| Retired | April 19, 2015 |
| ISU personal best scores | |
| Combined total | 141.75 2013 World Team |
| Short dance: | 56.35 2013 World Team |
| Free dance | 85.40 2013 World Team |
Cathy Reed, born on June 5, 1987, is a talented ice dancer who used to compete for Japan. She was born in America but has Japanese heritage. With her brother Chris Reed, she became a seven-time Japanese national champion in ice dancing.
Contents
About Cathy Reed
Early Life and Family
Cathy Reed was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the United States. Her mother is Japanese, and her father is American. This meant Cathy had dual citizenship, being a citizen of both Japan and the United States.
However, Japanese law requires people with dual citizenship to choose one when they turn 22. Cathy chose to be a Japanese citizen so she could keep representing Japan in ice dancing competitions.
Cathy grew up in Warren Township, New Jersey, along with her siblings. She skated with her younger brother, Chris Reed, for many years until she retired in 2015. Her younger sister, Allison Reed, is also an ice dancer. Allison has represented different countries, including Georgia, Israel, and currently Lithuania.
Remembering Chris Reed
On March 17, 2020, Cathy's sister, Allison, shared sad news: their brother Chris had passed away suddenly on March 14, 2020, in Detroit, Michigan. He died due to cardiac arrest.
Many people shared their sadness and respect for Chris. The President of the Japan Skating Federation, Akihisa Nagashima, thanked Chris for his important contributions to Japanese ice dancing.
A special memorial service for Chris was held in Michigan and was streamed online for everyone to watch. Cathy shared a heartfelt message for her brother, saying, "I miss your voice. I miss your big smile. I miss holding your hand. But I'll be strong for you, Chris."
In 2022, Cathy was able to see her sister Allison at the 2022 NHK Trophy competition. They hadn't seen each other in over two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Skating Career
Starting Out
Cathy and Chris Reed both started their skating journeys as singles skaters. But when Cathy was 12, they decided to try skating together as an ice dancing pair. They worked with famous coaches like Shae-Lynn Bourne and Nikolai Morozov, who helped them create their first skating routines. They trained in Hackensack, New Jersey.
In 2006, the Reeds won the novice ice dancing title at the U.S. Championships. Novice is a level for younger or less experienced skaters.
Representing Japan
After their win, Cathy and Chris decided to represent Japan starting in the 2006–07 season. Even though they were novice champions, Cathy was too old to compete as a junior internationally. So, they moved straight to the senior level for Japan.
As senior skaters, they quickly showed their talent. They placed well in international competitions like the 2006 Golden Spin of Zagreb. They also came in second at the Japan Championships in their first year. At the 2007 Four Continents event, they finished 7th, which was impressive for a new senior team.
Chris faced some challenges with knee injuries, needing two surgeries. He was off the ice for five months to recover.
Major Achievements
Cathy and Chris made their Grand Prix debut, which are big international competitions. They continued to improve, winning the Japanese national championships for the first time. They repeated their 7th-place finish at the Four Continents competition and competed at the World Championships.
They proudly represented Japan at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, finishing 17th. They also won a silver medal at the 2011 Asian Winter Games.
The Reeds continued to compete at top events, including the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. They consistently ranked among the best teams in Japan, winning the national championship seven times in total (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015).
After Retirement
After the 2014–15 skating season, Cathy decided to retire from competitive figure skating. She now works as a coach and choreographer, helping other skaters achieve their dreams. She is currently based at the Kinoshita Academy in Uji, Kyoto, Japan.
