COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – This week has been full of stories about how the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Nationwide Arena are inspiring young skaters, but there is one story that is decades in the making.
John and Mary Hackett’s love story started decades ago when they were both Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club members. Even after all these years, they still love the sport and travel to as many U.S. Figure Skating Championships as possible.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates overcome illness for 5th US figure skating championship
“He came up to me and said, ‘If you’re going to do that jump that way, you’re going to hurt yourself,’” Mary Hackett said. “So I said, ‘OK, show me how.’”
That’s where it all began. Both Mary and John were in college and shared a love for skating. John took a figure skating class at the University of Michigan.
“I got more and more interested and my skating skills got better and better, and I started skating with the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club, and my skills got a little bit better and better and so on,” John Hackett said.