Figure skater Scott Hamilton was born on August 28, 1958 in Bowling Green, Ohio. Adopted at six weeks, he contracted a mysterious disease during his childhood, causing his development to halt, and contributing to his dimunitive 5-foot-2 frame during his peak years as a skater. He began training as a skater at age 13, enlisting the help of former Olympic champion Pierre Brunet; however, he almost quit due to increasing costs.

Hamilton first gained attention when he joined the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1980, eventually earning him a slot at the country’s Olympic team. During the 1980 Winter Olympics, he placed fifth. He further gained popularity the following year, with his much-applauded performance during the 1981 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. He went on to win that year’s World Figure Skating Championships, as well as the next two U.S. Championships. Finally, in 1984, he won the gold at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, before turning professional in April of that month.

Hamilton first toured with Ice Capades, but later left to set up Scott Hamilton’s American Tour. This evolved into Stars on Ice, which successfully staged many skating shows across the country. He performed with the group for 15 years, before finally retiring; he still, however, performers in a guest capacity occasionally. Despite leaving amateur competitions, he continued commentating for the sport, initially with CBS and later with NBC. His reputation earned him the first Jacques Farvat Award given to a solo male figure skater. In 1990, he was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

Hamilton continued facing health battles later in his life. He had widely-publicized bout with testicular cancer in 1997, although it was later cured, and he returned to skating. In 2004, a benign brain tumor was found, and later cured. He continues to act as a volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and raised money for cancer research.