Debi Thomas

Debra Janine Thomas is a physician and former figure skater from the United States. She won the World Championship in 1986, the Olympic Bronze Medal in 1988, and the US National Championship twice.

The Battle of the Carmens was her competition with East Germany’s Katarina Witt at the 1988 Calgary Olympics.

Early Life, Education, and Parents

Debra Janie Thomas, better known as Debi Thomas, was born on March 25, 1967, in Poughkeepsie, New York. Debi has always enjoyed staking and has competed in various skating competitions since she was five years old.

Debi’s parents, Mckinley Thomas (father) and Janice Thomas, divorced when she was very young. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information about Debi’s parents.

Debi began formal skating lessons at the age of nine and competed in various skating competitions. Despite this, Debi has had a difficult life, and she was the first African-American skater.

Debi had to deal with a slew of issues as a result of this. The judges favored other white contestants over her simply because she was black.

When it comes to her education, Debi earned her orthopedic surgery degree from Stanford University. She earned an excellent degree in addition to having a successful skating career.

Age, Height, and Body Measurement

Debi is 54 years old and was born in 1967. She started out having to deal with a lot of hardship and struggles. Nevertheless, Debi was able to inspire many admirers of skating and aspiring skaters.

On the other hand, this American woman is 53 kg tall and 1.67 meters tall.

Career

Debi’s career got off to a quick start because she didn’t wait until she was twelve to compete in her first skating event. While still a student at an engineering college, she triumphed in the two most important matches of her career.

Debi’s mother, who used to drive 100 miles a day and sacrifice her time between home, school, and the ice rink, has a significant influence on Debi’s career.

Los Angeles Figure Skating Club served as the catalyst for Debi’s career in figure skating. Similar to Thomas, who won the short program when she was only 18 years old, the long program saw Thomas finish in second place after three notable long jumps.

Additionally, Debi finished fifth at the World Championships in 1985, and Thomas won the gold medal in 1986.

Similar to how she continuously wins competitions, Debi is named the Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year by ABC.

It’s interesting to note that, despite attending college full-time, Debi became the first female athlete to win all those awards. Debi is also the first female skater of African descent to have won numerous accolades.

Debi receives the Candace Award for Trailblazing from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women as a result.

Medical Career

After earning her engineering degree at Stanford, she relocated to Boulder to begin her orthopedic surgery residency at Martin Luther King Jr. University.

She began her professional medical career in 2007 after passing several exams to become a licensed orthodontist.

Debi moved from clinic to clinic every year because her personality prevented her from remaining in one place for a very long. She was, however, very talented, and her patients loved her.

 Net Worth

Debi Thomas made a lot of money in her career, but due to some circumstances, she is now broke. She has a net worth of $20,000.00. Debi, too, went from riches to rags.

Debi’s life changed the moment she declared bankruptcy in 2014. Despite being a brilliant surgeon, her license had expired at the time, and she didn’t even have the money to renew it.

Debi’s divorce was the primary cause of her bankruptcy, and she had to pay a significant amount of money to her ex-husband as an alumnus to raise their son. However, due to her bankruptcy, she lost custody of her son.

Personal Life

Debi Thoms had a happy marriage with her first husband, Brian Vander. Debi divorces Brian after eight years of marriage, and in 1996 she marries a handsome attorney, Chris Bequette.

Chris and Debi have a son, Luc Bequette, who is a defensive tackle at Boston College. Things began to change after her divorce from Chris. Debi was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2012.

From being bankrupt to a failed marriage to losing custody of her son when he was 13 years old, one thing led to another.

As a result of her many problems, Debi begins to feel depressed. And after so much success, this failure was unbearable.

However, Debi’s fiancee Jamie Looney was suffering from alcohol and anger issues in 2015. Despite Debi’s issues, she assisted her fiance in overcoming his.

She currently resides in a small house with her fiance and his two sons.

Debi, on the other hand, is content with her fiance for the time being. Debi and Looney are both working hard to improve their situations.

Similarly, Debi is an inspiration because she arrived at a time when black women faced discrimination and were denied equal opportunities. Furthermore, she established her own identity as a result of her hard work and dedication.

Social Media Presence

Debi does not use any social media platforms. Despite the fact that she is not on social media, her fans would like to see more from her and learn more about her.

You may also like Jorge Ricardo

FAQs

Where is Debi Thomas these days?

Debi is currently in Virginia, living in a small house with her fiance.

Is Debi still a physician?

Debi is currently doing nothing related to her medical career. She has, however, remained silent about why she is not working as a physician.

Quick Facts

Name	Debra Jannie Thomas
Birthdate	March 25, 1967
Birthplace	Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
Age	55 Years Old
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Black
Religion	Christianity
Father’s Name	McKinley Thomas
Mother’s Name	Janice Thomas
Siblings	1
Education	Northwestern University Stanford University Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine San Mateo High School
Profession	Figure Skater, Physician
Nickname	Debi
Height	5 ft. 5 inches
Weight	53
Hair Color	Grey
Eye Color	Black
Shoe Size	9 (United States),  8 (United Kingdom)
Zodiac Sign	Aries
Net worth	$20 thousand
Achievement	World Figure Skating World Champion (1986) Olympic Bronze Medalist (1988) Two times US National Championship
Salary	Unknown
Started Career	At the age of 9
Retired	1988
Sexual Orientation	Straight
Marital status	Divorced
Husband	Chris Bequette (1996-2010)
Children	Luc Bequette
Fiancé	James Looney
Coach(s)	Alex Magowan
Social Media	Inactive