Tenley Albright facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tenley Albright
Albright in 1953
Personal information
Full name	Tenley Emma Albright
Country represented	United States
Born	(1935-07-18) July 18, 1935 (age 89) Newton Centre, Massachusetts, U.S.
Home town	Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U.S.
Former coach	Maribel Vinson
Skating club	Skating Club of Boston
Retired	1956
Medal record Representing the  United States Ladies' figure skating Olympic Games Gold 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Ladies' singles Silver 1952 Oslo Ladies' singles World Championships Silver 1956 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Ladies' singles Gold 1955 Vienna Ladies' singles Silver 1954 Oslo Ladies' singles Gold 1953 Davos Ladies' singles North American Championships Gold 1955 Regina Ladies' singles Gold 1953 Cleveland Ladies' singles Bronze 1951 Calgary Ladies' singles

Tenley Emma Albright, born on July 18, 1935, is a famous American figure skater and a surgeon. She won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympic Games and a silver medal in 1952. Tenley was also a two-time World Champion in 1953 and 1955. She won the North American title twice and was the U.S. national champion five times in a row, from 1952 to 1956. After her skating career, she became a doctor, graduating from Harvard Medical School. In 2015, she was honored by being added to the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Skating Career Highlights

Tenley Albright was born in Newton, Massachusetts. Her father, who was a surgeon, wanted her to be active in sports. Every winter, he would make an ice rink in their backyard for Tenley and her friends. By the time she was nine, she could already skate perfect figure eights.

Overcoming Polio

In 1947, Tenley got a mild case of polio. This illness made her muscles weak. Skating became a very important part of her recovery. It helped her get her strength back. She started training at the Skating Club of Boston as part of her physical therapy. She found this rehabilitation exciting. Tenley once said that being paralyzed made her more aware of her muscles, and she never wanted to stop using them again.

Coaching and Early Wins

Tenley had two main coaches: Willie Frick and Maribel Vinson. She quickly became a top skater.

• At age 13, she won the U.S. Nationals Novice Championships.
• At age 14, she won the U.S. Junior Championships.
• She then won five U.S. national titles in a row, starting when she was 16.

World and Olympic Success

Tenley won a silver medal at the 1952 Olympics in Oslo, Norway. She then won her first World title in 1953. She was the first American female skater to ever win a World title. She also won a silver medal in 1954 and another gold medal in 1955.

In 1955, Tenley achieved a "triple crown" by winning the U.S., North American, and World Championships all in the same year. She did all of this while also studying full-time as a pre-med student at Radcliffe College.

Olympic Gold and Retirement

In 1956, while training for the Olympics, Tenley had an accident. She fell and cut her right ankle joint deeply with her left skate. Her father, being a surgeon, stitched up the cut himself. Despite this injury, she went on to compete at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. There, she made history by becoming the first American female skater to win an Olympic gold medal.

After 1956, Tenley Albright stopped competing in figure skating. However, she stayed involved in the sport. In 1982, she became a vice president of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Medical Career and Achievements

After the 1956 Olympics, Tenley focused on her education. She had attended The Winsor School in Boston and started at Radcliffe College in 1953 as a pre-med student.

Becoming a Surgeon

In 1961, at the age of 24, Tenley graduated from Harvard Medical School. She then became a surgeon and practiced medicine for 23 years. She also taught and lectured at Harvard Medical School.

Contributions to Medicine and Science

Tenley Albright has held important positions in the medical and scientific fields.

• She chaired the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health.
• She served on the boards of non-profit organizations like The Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
• She also served on the boards of companies like West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., and State Street Bank and Trust Company.

In 1976, she was the chief doctor for the U.S. Winter Olympic team. The American Academy of Achievement gave her a Golden Plate Award in 1976. In 1983, she was inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame for her many accomplishments.

Personal Life

Tenley Albright and Tudor Gardiner getting married on December 31, 1961

Tenley Albright's father, Hollis Albright, was a well-known surgeon in Boston. Tenley was married to Tudor Gardiner, a lawyer, from 1962 to 1976. From 1981 until his passing in 2021, she was married to Gerald Blakeley, who was a former owner of the Ritz-Carlton hotel. He also had a connection to Woods Hole and chaired The Morehouse School of Medicine.

Skating Results

See also

In Spanish: Tenley Albright para niños