Olympian Surya Bonaly Back, Comments on Tokyo, Simone Biles, More
As the world watches the Olympic Games in Tokyo, we decided to bring back, on CYInterview, one of Las Vegas’s very own Olympians. Decorated figure skating champion Surya Bonaly of France competed in the Winter Olympic Games in 1992, 1994 and 1998 and she joined us once again.
In 2019, her life story as a figure skater was featured in the Netflix series Losers. Coming in January of 2021, a children’s book on her life, titled Fearless Heart: An Illustrated Biography of Surya Bonaly, will be released by Triumph Books.
Today, Surya coaches and teaches adults and kids skating here, at the Las Vegas Ice Center and beyond. If you follow her Instagram page [see here], you will see the figure skating champion with her students.
Every time the Olympics comes around, Ms. Bonaly says that it is an emotional thing for her, as the sports spectacular is part of her DNA:
“I feel emotional every time I see the Olympics. For me, it’s so part of my body, it’s part of, you know, my life. You know, when you compete for Olympics, so many times, you spend so many hours and years training for that goal.”
Speaking of Tokyo, Japan hosting these Olympic Games, Surya has fond memories of the country:
“I know the Japanese do amazing jobs and I’ve been there many, many times, countless times. I performed. I did shows. I toured all over Japan and this country is one of my favorites. And those people are so respectful, so caring, so much that you really feel, you know, at ease when you’re there.”
Surya has kept up with Simone Biles rise to gymnastic stardom. She would love to meet her one day. Hopefully, the two SBs – Sury Bonaly/Simone Biles – will get to visit with each other soon:
“Ever since Simone Biles arrived on the world scene, you know, for the last seven years, I’ve been, you know, totally a big fan of her and I wish I met her one day because she’s amazing, she’s like an iron woman, pretty much in the gym.”
Considering the challenges Ms. Biles is facing, a meeting with Ms. Bonaly would be worthwhile.
This coming January, Surya Bonaly’s story will be told in a new children’s book titled Fearless Heart: An Illustrated Biography of Surya Bonaly. Here are her thoughts on the book:
“I hope kids all over America will get to enjoy it and get to know my stories because you know, everyone knows me from the 90s, early 2000s, but the new generation doesn’t know me, except besides the parents been telling them what to do, what to watch on Google or YouTube. So, people kind of, sort of, know me. But a book will definitely be amazing for them to have that book on their shelf at home.”
Surya Bonaly currently teaches adults and kids figure skating at the Las Vegas Ice Center.
“I try to help parents who try to mix work and school and try to run from one place to the other. So I’m very flexible with times and I love teaching kids and we need more kids on ice.”
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If you are in Las Vegas and are interested in getting skating lessons from Surya Bonaly at the Las Vegas Ice Center, you can email crazypanthersb@aol.com or private message her on her Instagram by clicking here.
You can purchase a copy of Surya Bonaly’s new children’s book Fearless Heart: An Illustrated Biography of Surya Bonaly by clicking here.
You can like Surya Bonaly on Facebook clicking here.
Follow Surya Bonaly on Instagram clicking here.