Paul Stanton Wylie (born October 28, 1964) is an American
figure skater
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
, and the
1992 Olympic silver medalist in men's singles skating.
Personal life
Paul Stanton Wylie was born on October 24, 1964 in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
to Bob Wylie (a geophysicist) and B.L. Wylie (a realtor) — the youngest of three children.
In Dallas, he attended
St. Mark's School of Texas
The St. Mark's School of Texas is a nonsectarian preparatory day school for boys in grades 1–12 in Dallas, Texas, United States, accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest.
History
St. Mark's traces its origins to the T ...
. When he was eleven, his family moved to
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, where he focused increasingly on skating and graduated from
Colorado Academy
Colorado Academy is an independent nonsectarian, co-educational, college preparatory day school for students from Pre-Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. The school's campus is located in Lakewood, Colorado, and serves approximately 1000 studen ...
.
Wylie attended
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
and graduated in 1991 with a degree in government.
After competing in the 1992 Winter Olympics, as he planned, he retired from amateur competition and began his professional skating career. It was his intention to tour for a few years and then go to law school.
He was admitted to law school, but deferred attendance for a few years.
[ He ended up skating professionally for six years before retiring. He then returned to Harvard — but to the Business School, rather than the Law School. He earned an ]MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...
in 2000. He then worked for two years in marketing with The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
.
On August 14, 1999, Wylie married Kate Presbrey, a Cape Cod native and former Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
Division 1 hockey player. They have three children, Hannah, Emma and Caleb. The family divides their time between Hyannis, Massachusetts
Hyannis is the largest of the seven villages in the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area at the 1990 census. Because of this, many refer t ...
and Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
, North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, where Wylie previously worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is a non-profit Christian outreach organization that promotes multimedia evangelism, conducts evangelistic crusades, and engages in disaster response. The BGEA operates the Billy Graham Trainin ...
as director of the ''Dare to be a Daniel'' program.[ Wylie currently runs High Gear Travel, a sports-related travel agency,] and coaches figure skaters at the Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, North Carolina, owned by Tom Logano, father of NASCAR star Joey Logano
Joseph Thomas Logano (born May 24, 1990), is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, and part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Seri ...
, whose sister Danielle is also a coach.
Skating career
Wylie started skating at the age of three. After moving to Denver, he began to train with Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi (20 December 1929 – 20 March 1997) was an Italian figure skater and international coach whose students included several World and Olympic champions. As a single skater, he was the 1953 World bronze medalist, a two-time European cha ...
. Wylie remained with Fassi for nine years, first in Denver and later in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
when Fassi relocated to the Broadmoor Skating Club
The Broadmoor Skating Club is a figure skating club based in Colorado Springs, Colorado that has long been a major training center for the sport of figure skating. Founded in 1939, it was originally known as the Pikes Peak Skating Club, and was ...
. As a young skater, Wylie additionally worked with John Curry
John Anthony Curry, (9 September 1949 – 15 April 1994) was a British Figure skating, figure skater. He was the 1976 1976 European Figure Skating Championships, European, Figure skating at the 1976 Winter Olympics, Olympic and World Figure Sk ...
and Robin Cousins
Robin Cousins, MBE (born 17 August 1957) is a British former competitive figure skater who was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1980. He was the 1980 Olympic champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist (1978–19 ...
, who were also students of Fassi. Cousins lived with the Wylie family while he was training for the 1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States.
Lake Placid was elected ...
.
In 1979, Wylie won the novice men's title at the U.S. Championships, and in the 1981 season, he won both the U.S. junior title and the World Junior Championships. At the latter event, he landed his first triple jumps in competition—two triple toe loops.["1981 Junior World's Report", ''Skating'' magazine, March 1981]
At the same time, Wylie was competing in pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline defined by the International Skating Union (ISU) as "the skating of two persons in unison who perform their movements in such harmony with each other as to give the impression of genuine Pair Skating a ...
with partner Dana Graham. They won the junior pairs title at the 1980 U.S. nationals. They were coached by John Nicks
John Allen Wisden Nicks (born 22 April 1929) is a British figure skating coach and former pair skater. With his sister, Jennifer Nicks, he is the 1953 World champion. As a coach, his skating pupils have included Peggy Fleming, pairs team Tai B ...
, commuting to work with him in California. They placed eighth in the senior division at the 1981 U.S. nationals, but then dissolved their partnership when they lost financial sponsorship.
In 1985, wanting to rework some of his technique, Wylie left Fassi and began to train instead with Evy and Mary Scotvold
Mary Batdorf Scotvold is an American figure skating coach, best known for her work with Olympic medalists Paul Wylie and Nancy Kerrigan, whom she co-coached with her husband, Evy Scotvold.
She won the novice ladies title at the 1959 U.S. Figu ...
, who were at that time located in Janesville, Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. Shortly afterwards, they all moved to the Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
area.
Wylie placed second at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is ofte ...
in 1988, 1990, and 1992. He won the silver medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics
)
, nations = 64
, athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women)
, events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines)
, opening = 8 February 1992
, closing = 23 February 1992
, opened_by = President François Mitterrand
, cauldron ...
in Albertville
Albertville (; Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile'') is a subprefecture of the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France.
It is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. In 2018, the commune had ...
, France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. The medal was considered a major upset, as Wylie had never finished higher than ninth at the World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships (''"Worlds"'') is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the categories of single skating, men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ...
four years prior, and had skated such a poor performance at the 1992 U.S. Championships that reporters questioned his placement on the Olympic team. The USFSA
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee "USOPC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act an ...
had even left Wylie off the team for the 1992 World Championships, naming Mark Mitchell in his place.
After the Olympics, Wylie joined the professional skating ranks. He won the 1992 U.S. Open Professional Championship and the 1993 World Professional Figure Skating Championships The World Professional Figure Skating Championships, often referred to as Landover, was an elite made-for-TV figure skating competition. It was created by Dick Button, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, through his production company Candid Productio ...
. Wylie toured with Stars on Ice from 1992 to 1998 before retiring to attend graduate school and work in the corporate world.
After leaving his job at Disney in 2004, Wylie returned to the ice for 22 dates with Stars on Ice. He has also continued his long association with An Evening with Champions
An Evening with Champions (EWC) is an annual benefit figure skating show organized by students of Harvard University. The event is a two-day skating show generally in October, which regularly attracts world-class skaters, thousands of spectators, ...
, the annual benefit show at Harvard. Wylie has worked as a sports commentator/analyst, most recently for ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
and Universal Sports
Universal Sports was an American sports-oriented digital cable and satellite television network. It was owned as a joint venture between InterMedia Partners (which owned a controlling 92% interest) and NBCUniversal (which owned the remaining 8%).
...
.
Wylie was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame on January 25, 2008.
Health
While exercising with friends on April 21, 2015, Wylie collapsed and was unresponsive. One of the friends he was training with, Billy Griggs, was certified in CPR and immediately began chest compressions until medical attention arrived on scene. Paramedics administered a defibrillator but were unsuccessful in resuscitating Wylie. After first responders injected his heart with epinephrine, Wylie's heart started again. He was immediately transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina hospital where doctors diagnosed him as having suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Wylie was put into a medically induced coma and began a treatment known as therapeutic hypothermia in order to cool his brain and body to 90 degrees in order to reduce any possible brain damage.
After two days, Wylie woke up from his coma and was released from the hospital nine days later. He has made a full recovery but continues to wear an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or automated implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) is a device implantable inside the body, able to perform defibrillation, and depending on the type, cardioversion and pacing of the ...
pacemaker. He had no symptoms of heart disease except for experiencing a few dizzy spells a few days before the incident. Doctors gave Wylie a clean bill of health, saying he had no heart or brain damage.
Awards
* U.S. Olympic Spirit Award (1992)
* U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame Inductee (2008)
Professional competitive highlights
* Ice Wars 1996 (team) 1st
* Battle of the Sexes 1996 (men's team) 1st
* Miko Masters 1996 1st
* Challenge of Champions 1995 1st
* Fall Team Pro-Am (team) 1st, 1st overall
* Ice Wars 1995 (team) 1st
* Miko Masters Paris Championships 1995 1st
* Ice Wars 1994 (team) 1st
* Spring Pro-Am 1994 1st
* World Challenge of Champions 1993 1st
* World Professional Figure Skating Championships 1993 1st
* Fall Pro-Am 3rd 1993 Miko Masters Paris Championships 1993 1st
* World Challenge of Champions 1992 1st
* U.S. Open Professional Championships 1992 1st
* Fall Pro-Am 1992 1st
Programs
Post-1992
Pre-1992
----
Results
See also
*Notable alumni of St. Mark's School of Texas
The St. Mark's School of Texas is a sectarian, nonsectarian University-preparatory school, preparatory day school for boys in grades 1–12 in Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States, accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest ...
Notes
References
*
*
* }
* "Paul Wylie", ''Blades On Ice'', August 1998.
* "Paul Wylie", ''Skating'', November 1990.
* .
Navigation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wylie, Paul
1964 births
Living people
American male single skaters
Figure skaters at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Figure skaters at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Figure skating commentators
Olympic silver medalists for the United States in figure skating
Harvard Business School alumni
Olympic medalists in figure skating
Sportspeople from Denver
Sportspeople from Charlotte, North Carolina
People from Hyannis, Massachusetts
World Junior Figure Skating Championships medalists
Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Harvard College alumni
Sportspeople from Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Sportspeople from Dallas
Universiade medalists in figure skating
Disney people
St. Mark's School (Texas) alumni
Colorado Academy alumni
Universiade bronze medalists for the United States
Competitors at the 1987 Winter Universiade
Competitors at the 1990 Goodwill Games