Charles Crawford is Thankful:
Charles Crawford is thankful that he is able to walk. He is glad he is able to be on the ice again and is thankful that he is teaching skating again.
He says:
"I think we take for granted what we do have. Before I had MS, skating, doing shows and teaching was just what I did. I didn't even think about it. It was like breathing."
A Skating Coach With MS:
Charles writes:
"...then things happen and you are not able to work or get on the ice. I remember being in a hospital bed. I was so dizzy and could not feel my right side. A doctor told me I had MS."
What is Multiple Sclerosis?:
"...I didn't know what MS was. I asked the doctor about when I could leave the hospital and skate again. The doctor replied, "I wouldn't put that on my calendar." The doctor was not sure I would I walk again. My world stopped when I heard that news. The birds stopped singing and the colorful world suddenly went black and white. It has taken me three years to come back."
Three Years to Come Back to Skating and Coaching:
Charles tells skating coaches the following:
"Don't take for granted what we do or that we can do what we do. Whether you are a religious person or not, it is a gift. Be thankful you can teach ice skating, that we have rinks in which to teach and students in which to teach, and parents who pay us. Remember this: some parts of the world do not have ice skating rinks. The child that is killed by a bomb in the Middle East didn't have the opertunity to skate. Skating is a gift. Our opportunity to teach skating is a gift."
About Charles Crawford's Skating:
Charles' background in skating is in singles and pairs. He has skated all over the United States. Skating took him to three different figure skating training centers and to three foreign countries.
Date and Place of Birth:
Charles Crawford was born on March 5, 1976 in Spartansburg, South Carolina.
Hometown:
Charles now lives in Colorado.
How Charles Began to Skate:
Charles began skating as physical therapy for a foot disorder where his heel-cord would not lengthen. The way figure skates are designed stretched out part of his foot.
Successes as a Skating Competitor:
Being able to skate was a success in itself for Charles. Charles knew that many children want to skate, but the expensive cost of the sport makes it dificult. He was very grateful to be given the opportunity to be a figure skater. Passing ISI Freestyle 8 at age twelve was another success.
Test and Competition Record:
Charles competed in ISI Nationals for eight years. He won seven ISI Nationals for his levels and went to ISI Worlds once in 1989 in Hong Kong.
Coaches and Training:
After doing ISI competitions for many years, Charles competed in singles and pairs with US Figure Skating.
He trained at the following facilities:
- ISCC (International Skating Center of Connecticut) in Simsburry, Connecticut with Bob Young, John Thomas, and Vladimir Petrenko
- University of Delaware: Priscilla Hill
- Centennial Sportsplex: Bill Fauver and Laura Saunders
Life With MS:
Charles writes the following on life with MS:
- 'Multiple Sclerosis is a manageable disease. It is not a life sentence. A positive mindset can have a enormous effect on the outcome and progression of the this disease.
If you have MS, get on a treatment and stay on it. Commit to it. Find one that works for you. For me the choice was easy. With what I wanted to do, Copaxone was my choice. It is part of my daily routine now.
Educate yourself. This is your disease. Learn about it. Read as much as you can on. The most important tool a MS patient can have is knowledge and working with your doctor. You are a team in your health care.
"A person has MS, MS never has a person." Do what you love. Know when to take a break. You can accomplish things with this disease.'
