Lisa Illsley Navarro's Memories of Figure Skater Haley Gans
Haley Gans will always be a very special person in my life. We came to know each other when she was just a little girl. Her brother, Jake, and my son, Nick, played on traveling sports teams together (and are college roommates today). Like a magnet, I was drawn to her. My daughter, Kim, had just moved to the east coast to attend college and pursue skating, and I was missing her very much. HaIey must have sensed that because she so quickly shared her bright light and offered me her friendship. At that time, I not only looked forward to watching my son play basketball or baseball, but I also really looked forward to seeing my little friend.
Because Haley was deaf, we communicated in a unique way. We couldn’t use the language of words, so we had to use our bodies and facial expressions. I would put things in my purse that we could discover and analyze. Photos were especially fun. We had such good laughs about some of the expressions that those photos captured. One day my mother came to the game and allowed Haley to go through her purse as well. There was one piece of gum inside, just one. Haley had some other little friends with her and broke that stick into pieces to share with them. This was the moment that Haley truly entered my heart.
She was my bleacher buddy, my sideline pal. We laughed and played, danced and twirled. Despite our age differences (and perhaps due to my willingness to make a fool of myself) we became the best of friends. It was such a pleasant surprise to discover that we were neighbors. Over the years our special friendship blossomed. We had so many wonderful times, seeing shows and shopping together, enjoying ice cream and tea parties, and sharing giggles as well as belly-laughs.
One year I had the great privilege of being invited to attend the San Francisco’s Ballet Nutcracker with Haley and her parents to celebrate her mother, Pat’s, birthday. Haley instructed us all that we should wear very FANCY clothing. And Haley certainly did. She absolutely radiated in the knowledge that she looked like a princess. Before the ballet, we went to eat at a lovely vegetarian restaurant. While waiting to be seated, a homeless man peered through the restaurant’s front window. Haley noticed him, and feeling as pretty as Maria did in West Side Story, she did a little twirl, grinned and curtsied just for him. It was evident on that man’s face that it had been a very long time since someone had looked directly at him, especially so dearly. It was a magical moment to witness.
Another time, we went out of town with our families to see Blast, an amazing show that made music come visually alive. On our way we passed a panhandler on the street and walked on by. But just moments later, Haley bolted off running in the direction from which we had just come. Someone chased after her. What was she doing? Well, she had seen some fruit on the ground that had dropped from a tree and wanted to bring it to this man who was obviously hungry. She saw the need and was compelled to fill it. Haley moved deeper into my heart.
And then there is our shared love of skating …. >p>The Gans family knew I was involved in figure skating and were interested in the possibility of skating becoming a hobby for their daughter, Rebekah. But it was Haley's passion that was ignited and obvious from the beginning. She took to the ice immediately. She could just fly out there and from the look on her face, her soul was singing!
Our playing together then extended to the ice. We spun, did lifts and any crazy thing we could think of. She took lessons, joined the club, and started competing in showcase competitions with great success. Everyone noticed the pure joy she exuded on the ice. She loved to go fast, jump, spin, spiral and perform. To top it off, she loved costumes and dressing up. She was extremely creative and had quite a flair for design. Skating was a perfect fit.
Although I gladly helped Haley pull together her skating programs, I never wanted to be her "coach". I always called myself her skating "friend" as I didn't want to alter our relationship. She had an independent spirit and abundance of her own ideas, so her skating programs were truly personal expressions of herself. Haley eventually received cochlear implants, thanks to the efforts of her amazing parents Pat and John. Another dimension was added to the way she heard and expressed her music.
