Hall of Fame

Dorothy Hamill is an American former figure skater who won the gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games Innsbruck 1976. The Chicago native began skating on a pond behind her grandparents’ home and started winning figure skating competitions by the age of 11. She won two world championship silver medals in 1974 and 1975 before claiming the gold medal at the Innsbruck Games. Known for her short bob hairstyle, Hamill was nicknamed “America’s Sweetheart” and is credited with inventing several new figure skating moves, such as the "Hamill Camel." She toured with the traveling ice show, the Ice Capades, and produced and starred in her own productions like “Cinderella” and “The Nutcracker.” The figure skater won an Emmy Award for her role in “Romeo & Juliet On Ice,” and would later buy out and run the Ice Capades. She was also selected to carry the torch into the Olympic Stadium at the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002. Hamill has gotten involved with several charities, including the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the International Special Olympics, the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and has since launched a national campaign called BeWisER+ about Breast Cancer.