Tonia Kwiatkowski is called the "Grand Old Lady" of the sport. In 1996 she finished second at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, earning a trip to the World Figure Skating Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In a sport dominated by teenagers, Kwiatkowski has proven that it is never too late to achieve your dream.

Growing up

Loved to skate

Tonia Kwiatkowski was born February 12, 1971, in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the only child of Phil Kwiatkowski, a heavy-machine operator, and his wife, Corinne, a homemaker. Kwiatkowski began to skate at the age of five, taking lessons at the Greenbriar Ice Rink in Parma Heights, Ohio. She participated in the "Learn to Skate" program, where she learned how to stand on her skates, bend her knees correctly, and get back up after a fall.

When she was seven, Kwiatkowski began private lessons with Carole Gatti. Within just a year, she...