Surya Bonaly of France has held a spot near the top of the figure skating world for some time. In a sport dominated by white athletes, Bonaly has been a role model for black fans throughout the world. Trained as a gymnast, Bonaly can do athletic jumps that few other women skaters have ever attempted. A five-time winner at the European Figure Skating Championships, Bonaly has fallen just short of winning the world championship three times. Nearing the end of her career, Bonaly proved she could still make a crowd flip for her at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Growing up

Mystery of birth

Surya Bonaly (BONE-a-lee) was born in 1973 in Nice, France. She is the adopted daughter of Georges, an architect and government worker, and Suzanne, a physical education teacher. Mystery surrounds Bonaly's birth. For years her mother told the press that the youngster was born...