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Post by Laura (Lori) on Oct 4, 2008 22:52:59 GMT -8
This thread is totally devoted to Kimberly Derrick, and is intended to be an archive of her skating career - as well as a place to chat about her accomplishments and encourage her as she pursues her goals both on and off the ice.
If you have any articles, photos, links and news about Kimberly (past or present), we'd love to see them!
If you are a non-member who would like to contribute news, photos, archives or comments, please feel free to contact us at:
lori@rocker-u.net or michelle@therockerfund.org
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Post by mtnme on Jan 26, 2009 19:41:19 GMT -8
Members of the US team Kimberly Derrick, Katherine Reutter, Allison Baver, Carly Wilson and Lana Gehring pose for photographers after the 3000 meter relay during the Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track at the Utah Olympic Oval February 10, 2008 in Kearns, Utah. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images North America)
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Post by mtnme on Jan 29, 2009 9:20:24 GMT -8
Kimberly wins the bronze medal in Salt Lake City for World Cup 1, October 2008
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Post by mtnme on Jan 29, 2009 16:35:15 GMT -8
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Post by mtnme on Jan 29, 2009 20:10:02 GMT -8
Kimberly Derrick, (far right) gets ready to line up at US Championships 2008. Left to right. Alyson Dudek, Katherine Reutter, Maria Garcia, Lana Gehring, Jessica Smith and Kimberly. Kimberly Derrick (top row, far right) along with the rest of Team USA at US Championships 2008 Bottom Row: Ryan Bedford, Jeff Simon, Apolo Anton Ohno, JR Celski and Jordan Malone Top Row: Lana Gehring, Allison Baver, Katherine Reutter, Jessica Smith and Kimberly
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Post by mtnme on Feb 7, 2009 18:19:52 GMT -8
Xiaoxue Meng #33 of China leads Nina Evteeva #126 of Russia and Kimberly Derrick #133 in the preliminary round of the 1000 meter event during the Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track at the Utah Olympic Oval February 8, 2008 in Kearns, Utah. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images North America) Kimberly Derrick #133 leads the field in the 1000 meter heats during the Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track at the Utah Olympic Oval February 8, 2008 in Kearns, Utah. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images North America)
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Post by mtnme on Feb 9, 2009 23:46:28 GMT -8
This is hard to see, but this does look like Kimberly in third. WC 5 in Sofia, Bulgaria 2009 ...a better shot!
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Post by mtnme on Feb 25, 2009 20:14:17 GMT -8
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Post by mtnme on Apr 16, 2009 8:14:53 GMT -8
Here is a photo of 'the girls' (the rink looks like World Team) Katherine Reutter, Kimberly Derrick, Alyson Dudek, Jessica Smith and Lana Gehring. The ladies took the bronze for the World Team event. Good Job, Ladies! Photo courtesy of Kimberly Derrick. Thanks Kimberly!
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Apr 19, 2009 21:15:22 GMT -8
Many Olympics fans remember the story of Kimberly Derrick's personal heartbreak in Torino 2006 as she faced what should have been one of the most glorious days of her life. Here is the story as recounted from her 'home club' as they lived this day with Kimberly...
IT WAS A BITTERSWEET DAY This was a greatly anticipated day for us West Michigan Speedskating Club members with the finale of the Olympic skating events including the men's 500M, the 5000M relay featuring Michigan's native son Alex Izykowski, our own golden girl Kimberly Derrick's 1000M moment in the spotlight and the state championships in Bay City. The happy stories write themselves. The sad ones take more thought and are a lot harder to write. I start with the easy ones.
It was a glorious day of racing for the state championships in Bay City. Our club was well represented with the kids from our Lansing chapter and our local Karl and Elizabeth Ochs, Chelsea VanderPols, Brianna and Gerald Lilly, Drew Emelander, Mel Brenner, Brian Bueche and Chris Doubek. They all skated like champions in their own right.
If you were wondering about where the next generation of Olympians would come from, you only needed to pop in and watch pony division girl Darien O'Neil from the Wolverines set five new state records, or pee wee girl Sofia Olenchek set two new records, or Brett Perry and Barry Winslow breaking Olympic bronze medalist Alex Izykowski's old records. Then there were my old pals Kevin Geminder doing a 45 second 500 and my favorite juvenile (delinquent) Petoskey girls and Alpena's Sarah (Ice) Burg. Wow, they can skate and best of all they are each just such neat kids! It was a great day for Michigan racing.
Of course, we had to stop the competition to watch the magnificent 500 of Apolo Ohno. Then it was absolutely electric with all the skaters, officials and spectators huddled around the three televisions in the lobby to watch the hometown hero Alex Izykowski skate with his teammates to a thrilling bronze medal in the men's 5000 relay. Wait until that young man comes home to his reception!
This was a well run meet with fast ice and enthusiastic skaters. Huge thanks to the Midland and Bay County Clubs for another first class meet. With all the interest in the relays, both the men's 5000 tonight and the women's 3000 featuring Kimberly Wednesday, I can't help but think that our club should work this summer to find the funds to host an all-relay meet in the late fall. We will talk about that in our next general membership meeting.
How refreshing was it to hear a true American hero Apolo Anton Ohno speak from his heart about what it means to simply compete in the games. Later that night, he spoke eloquently with our local television sports reporter, Jack Doles, about his thoughts on the loss of Kimberly's grandfather. It was incredibly touching.
A lot of the cynics have attempted to diminish the games by focusing on the nay-sayers. If you think the chase for an Olympic medal is hoaky then you did not see the pride shown by the Dutch, Italian or Korean speedskaters when they won their races...as well as all our American skaters. You probably did not see the pure joy in the faces of those great young Canadian women skaters.
That same pride and enthusiasm was exhibited time and time again, medal or no medal in each sport, be it cross country skiing, figure skating, ski jumping, hockey, snow boarding, luge, bobsled, skeleton, curling or biathlon.
You got to be pretty hard bitten to not feel that Olympic spirit. If those media curmudgeons just don't get it then, there is something wrong with them and not the Olympics. This was the best television we are going to get for another two years until the summer Olympics.
Those that could not make it to the state championships organized our own Olympic viewing party to watch Kimberly's moment on the world stage. Special thanks to Mary Beth and Erik for getting it together on short notice. Erik spoke well on television about our club.
Now comes the hard part of writing this daily Olympic update.
Bob Becker wrote his own wonderful article in the Saturday sports section of the Grand Rapids Press on Kimberly's quest for gold. Little did he know at the time that he would have to write a special side story that made it to the front page of the first section. For those of you that did not know, Kimberly's grandfather, Darrel Edwards, passed away in Torino, from a heart attack a day before her big race. What a crushing burden this was for our twenty year old hero.
It was Kimberly's decision to skate the race she trained so hard for; mostly in honor of her grandfather. I think I speak for all of us skaters and non-skaters, that she made the correct decision to skate. You do not have to know much about speedskating to appreciate the necessity for absolute concentration in this precise sport. Her performance obviously suffered as a result.
We all felt her anguish as she wept before the race. I cannot image how hard that must have been to appear on a world stage feeling so vulnerable, but she did. NBC Sports commentator and old friend of the West Michigan Speedskating Club, Dan Weinstein, was able to express the thoughts of each of us on what it must have felt for her to skate. Bob Costas added his own kind thoughts.
So our dear girl received national attention but for a sad and not the joyous reasons for which we had so hoped.
The Olympics are not about medals. They are more about courage. A lesser person would have ran away and hid. To skate when your heart is broken showed the entire world what makes a true Olympian. I am thinking that there must be a life lesson here.
I for one, could not be more proud of this young girl than if she had won any golden medal. Our hearts are with you, Kimberly.
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Post by mtnme on Apr 28, 2009 8:35:43 GMT -8
Happy Birthday Kimberly! Have a GREAT day!
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Post by sunshine on Apr 30, 2009 14:40:15 GMT -8
Happy Belated Birthday Wishes Kimberly !!!! Have a wonderful year.....enjoy each day and live your dreams.
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Post by Laura (Lori) on May 8, 2009 15:34:38 GMT -8
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Post by Laura (Lori) on May 15, 2009 10:49:44 GMT -8
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Post by Laura (Lori) on May 15, 2009 11:24:56 GMT -8
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