Nancy Kerrigan in 2018: 10 Things She's Been Up to Since Her 1994 Attack
Good news: The knee injury was rock bottom and it's been mostly all up from there.
The new movie I, Tonya depicts the relationship between championship ice skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. Kerrigan was famously clubbed in the knee by an associate of Harding's ex-husband at the 1994 National Figure Skating Championships in Detroit but later went on to win an Olympic silver medal.
Now, more than 20 years later, Kerrigan has bounced back from the attack that nearly ended her athletic career with graceful humor. She's faced more personal challenges than anyone deserves, but has also been rewarded with new successes and the chance to help those less fortunate. Catch up with some of the most notable moments Kerrigan has experienced since she first made international headlines.
1. Got married
Kerrigan married her agent Jerry Solomon in 1995 and they're still happily together.
2. Hosted Saturday Night Live
Aretha Franklin was the musical guest for the 1994 episode of Saturday Night Live that Kerrigan hosted. Her monologue was a question and answer session that featured questions from her real Olympic rival Oksana Baiul (David Spade), Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly (Rob Schneider), Harding's bodyguard Shawn Eckhardt (Chris Farley) and Harding (Melanie Hutsell). What an amazing sport she was.
3. Had three babies despite big challenges
Matthew was born in 1997. Kerrigan then tragically had six consecutive miscarriages before undergoing in vitro treatments and having son Brian in 2005 and daughter Nicole in 2008.
4. Fought against degenerative eye diseases
Kerrigan's late mother was legally blind, and following her passing, she started the Nancy Kerrigan Foundation to support vision research, did events with Foundation Fighting Blindness, and served as the national spokesperson for Fight for Sight in 2003.
5. Sang on a Tina Turner tribute album
It takes balls to take on a Tina Turner cover, but Kerrigan gave her best crack at "Simply the Best" for a tribute album in 2004.
6. Starred in <i>Footloose on Ice</i>
She skated in this chilled-out musical for two months in Myrtle Beach in 2001, and when PEOPLE reported on the opening, the publication noted a New York Post item claiming Harding was considering joining a topless ice revue.
7. Did pretty well on Dancing with the Stars
She hot-footed her way through seven weeks of the difficult competition in 2017 but was gracefully eliminated before the end. Another former skating rival, Kristi Yamaguchi, did manage to take the mirrorball trophy home in 2008.
8. Played herself in movies and TV
She made a cameo in 2007's hilarious movie Blades of Glory and will appear as herself on the January 30 episode of ABC's Fresh Off the Boat for an Olympic-related sitcom caper.
9. Recorded a Kardashian Christmas special
Kerrigan was picked — maybe cuz she has a K last name? — to skate in a makeshift ice rink set up in Kris Jenner's backyard for the Keeping Up with the Kardashians Christmas special. She fit right in with the unofficial holiday family pictures, too.
10. Executive produced a documentary
Kerrigan appears in and is executive producer of Why Don't You Lose 5 Pounds? Her documentary on eating disorders in competitive sports is expected to be released soon.
