Kimmie Meissner

Kimberly C. Meissner, nicknamed Kimmie, was born on October 4, 1989 in Townson, Maryland. Now, however, she lives in Bel Air, Maryland.

She began skating by what else? Being at the rink! Her older brothers played hockey and she'd have to go to the rink, too. That year, her backyard also froze and Kimmie says her brother put an old pair of hockey skates on her and they went out and skated. She also did some public session and that's how she started. At age 6, she began to skate in the US Figure Skating Basic Skills program. She is currently being coached by Pam Gregory (pictured) at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. Since Delaware is quite a hike from Maryland, that means that Kimmie's mom picks her up from school early every day to drive Kimmie an hour to Newark. Once there, she skates 3 sessions (each session is 40 minutes long) and does an hour of off-ice work. After that, she returns home around 6.

Her dedication has certainly paid off as Kimmie is a Senior-level skater, the highest there is in figure skating! Her performance at the 2005 US Nationals made her instant media-darling as she pulled off a triple axel and mature presentation to win a bronze medal at her first trip to Senior Nationals. Although it is a huge accomplishment, Kimmie has had much success even before her 2005 season.  But it wasn't as easy as you may think. Kimmie went through all the other levels of US Figure Skating to get where she is today. The 2000 South Atlantic Regional Championships in October 1999 were her first regionals recorded. There she placed 4th in Juvenile girls at only 10 years old. The following 2 years she was an Intermediate. By the 2002-2003 season, Kimmie was 13 and ready to move up. In 2003, she won the National title on the Novice level and followed it up with Junior title a year later in 2004. Her junior win qualified her for the World Junior Championships, where she placed 2nd. This season she qualified for the World Championships, but wasn't allowed to compete because she was too young. Now heading into the Olympic year, everyone in skating knows that Kimmie is a huge threat to the national podium and Olympic team!

But even though she's been extremely successful, she's still a regular teen. At 15, she just finished up her sophomore year at Fallston High School. On her US Figure Skating bio she lists her "hobbies include reading, drawing, biking, skiing, horseback riding, and tennis." She also enjoys writing poetry and says she's "loyal, compassionate, and fun" according to her bio. In a recent interview she said her favorite food was either "a turkey sub or pizza."

Over the years, Kimmie has gained many fans and many fan sites have been created about her. It goes to show how great a skater Kimmie is!