Nancy Kerrigan calls deaths of Massachusetts figure skaters in D.C. plane crash a "shock"
NORWOOD - The Skating Club of Boston alumni, including Olympian Nancy Kerrigan, gathered at a Norwood ice rink Thursday to share their grief about the six members with ties to the group who were killed in a plane crash near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
Spencer Lane, 16, his mother Christine, 13-year-old Jinna Han and her mother Jin Han were among the victims. Also killed were The Skating Club of Boston coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.
Kerrigan, a former Olympian and Stoneham native, called the news a "shock."
"Much like everyone here's been saying, I'm not sure how to process it," Kerrigan said. "We just wanted to be here and be part of our community. The kids here really work hard, their parents work hard to be here."
Response from figure skating community
"We came here because we needed to be together," added Tenley Albright, an Olympic figure skater and Newton native. "We're family and it's a community and the skaters, the people who were on that plane, they're our family too."
Albright was at the Norwood rink along with several others, including Kerrigan, from the figure skating community.
"I picture them right here, the coaches always stood at that entrance, the skaters just flew all over the ice doing remarkable things, inspiring all of us," said Albright. "And, to us, it's just terrible and it's sad, and we just feel we need to be together and that's why you see so many hugs today."
Nancy Kerrigan mourns figure skaters
Kerrigan said while everyone grieves differently, figure skaters learn that you always get back up.
"The main lesson learned in skating is you get back up, keep on trying," Kerrigan said. "And even when it's hard, you get back up, even when you're crying, hurt, in pain, you get back up and move forward. It's not easy but that's what we all have to do now together."
Albright said while the skate club's rink is empty on Thursday, she is sure many members will find healing in the coming days through skating.
"When you skate, it's an expression and I think that it will help them to be together on the ice," said Albright.
Memories of 1961 plane crash
The crash brought back memories of the 1961 plane crash that killed the entire U.S. figure skating team who were enroute to the World Skating Championships in Prague. Albright said she lost 22 friends in the crash.
"Like today, 1961 was a tragic moment," said Paul George, who grew up in Wellesley and did not go on the trip to Prague because he was 19 years old at the time. "The music stopped, very much like this. It took time, we came back, I think, stronger, better. This is a club of excellence, it has been for over 100 years."
George spoke of sports as a community, saying he was contacted by the executive director of USA Hockey and other sports to express their sympathy.
"We band together, we're a family not only of figure skaters but of sports men and women," said George. "I think we grieve, as we all are doing. We will honor the athletes, honor the families. But I think we also will encourage people to come back and get back on the ice, get back about their lives. Be more focused, as ever. We will survive."