Figure skating mom starts Skates of Hope to honor DC plane crash victims
Christine Cheesman is a homeschool mom, an art teacher and a new figure skater. Despite all those roles, she has decided to take on another: Skates of Hope founder.
Cheesman, who lives in North Carolina, was at an ice skating rink when she learned what happened to American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided with a U.S. Army helicopter in the evening hours of Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C., killing all 67 onboard when the two aircraft plunged into the Potomac River.
Twenty-eight of the victims from flight 5342 were "members of the figure skating community," the Olympics website states. Eleven were young athletes, four were coaches and 13 were family members.
"As a mom, it took my breath away," she said about learning of the plane crash. "Even now, thinking about it, it's really difficult to try to understand what the parents are feeling and the families that have lost everything."
Cheesman's 12-year-old daughter became hooked on figure skating following a school field trip, and the mom hits the ice, as well.
"Being on the ice, it's freedom," she said. "It's beautiful. Each day I get on the ice after this tragedy, it just has like a renewed sense of purpose for me and for my daughter, as well."
"I think it's difficult for her to understand," Cheesman said. "I mean, these are people that she looked up to online and followed their Instagram stories."
Skates of Hope gifts skates in honor of those lost on flight 5342. Cheesman uses Instagram to help her take in the donations before sending them out to skaters in need.
"The skaters who are receiving the skates are just so grateful," she said, adding that coaches are reaching out to her to bless athletes who have fallen on hard times by motivating them with a free pair of skates.
Cheesman's goal is to make Skates of Hope a nonprofit organization, and any monetary donations that come in would be able to go to the families who lost loved ones in the D.C. plane crash.
Anyone who wishes to donate skates or be the recipient of a pair should reach out to her via Instagram.
The D.C. plane crash was the deadliest in the U.S. since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five on the ground.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Patrick Mahomes' Mom Makes Personal Announcement on Wednesday
Patrick Mahomes' Mom Makes Personal Announcement on Wednesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. These days, Patrick Mahomes has been busy preparing for the upcoming season with the Kansas City Chiefs. The two-time All-Pro quarterback is looking to bounce back after what turned out to be an ultimately disappointing campaign that ended with the Chiefs' heartbreaking loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. Advertisement Their 40-22 loss in the big game denied Mahomes and Co. a place in history. Instead of celebrating what would have been an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat, the Chiefs had to settle for second place after being outplayed by a determined Eagles side. Cheering for her son through the highs and the lows is Randi Mahomes, who is the mother of Patrick Mahomes. The 52-year-old has been a constant figure in the Chiefs QB's life, and they have been together through the ups and the downs--even way before Patrick Mahomes established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during a game. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Raising a son who pursued his dreams of being a star athlete was not easy for Randi Mahomes. It was even more difficult for her after she divorced her husband, Patrick Mahomes Sr., in 2006. Patrick Mahomes was just 11 at that time, and his mom had to work multiple jobs to support him and his siblings as a sole provider. Advertisement Randi Mahomes is now sharing her parenthood journey with others. This is through her Sports Parent Academy, which, according to its website, is a "comprehensive e-course designed to guide parents raising young athletes through every stage." On Wednesday, Randi Mahomes took to Instagram to announce that her site is now live. "Just got back from the cruise--rested and ready. And guess what's finally here? The Sports Parent Academy--early access is LIVE!" she captioned her post. Randi Mahomes offers three tiers of her e-courses. They range from $597 for the Core Course to $4,999 for the VIP/Inner Circle package. However, all the courses are currently on sale by as much as 25% for the Earlybird Pricing rate. Advertisement Patrick Mahomes would not be where he is right now had it not been for his mom, and there is no doubt that he will be supporting her all the way in this latest venture. Related: Patrick Mahomes' Physical Appearance Draws Attention on Tuesday Related: Caitlin Clark Reacts to New Photos of Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Mahomes Related: Patrick Mahomes Shares Big Personal Announcement on Friday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
India's rugby sevens venture tries to convert Olympic dreams to reality
India launches a rugby sevens league this weekend in a bold bid to win fans and bolster dreams of the Olympics in a country where cricket is king. The 34-match Rugby Premier League (RPL) will be staged for two weeks from Sunday in Mumbai and has attracted greats of the game such as the United States' try-scoring machine Perry Baker. "Is there space for a sport outside of cricket in India? 100 percent," Rugby India president Rahul Bose told AFP as he hopes to convert sports fans into following the fast-paced, short-form version of rugby union. The RPL is run by GMR Sports, which owns a team in the cricket T20 behemoth that is the Indian Premier League (IPL). It combines Indian rugby players in six franchise teams alongside 30 globally experienced teammates, including current World Rugby Sevens Series stars such as Australia's Maurice Longbottom and Fiji's Filipe Sauturaga. Coaches include former USA mentor Mike Friday, New Zealand legends Tomasi Cama and DJ Forbes, and England great Ben Gollings. Bose, a former India rugby international and successful Bollywood actor, has big dreams. "An Indian (rugby) team getting into the Olympics, whether it's men or women, is inevitable," Bose said. Bose believes it could happen within a decade. And that could mean an India team taking part in a home 2036 Olympics, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared he wants to host. "There's a lot of money," Bose said, adding that the budget of the Mumbai-based national rugby federation had grown more than 30-fold. "There's a lot of opportunity." He is coy on precise funding, saying only that overseas stars in the RPL were being paid an "equitable" fee to what they receive in tournaments worldwide. - 'Dream come true' - India's overall record at the Olympics is poor, winning only 10 gold medals in its history. Cricket offers an obvious chance to increase that tally when it returns at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but India is keen to be competitive in other sports. Fiji scrum-half Terio Tamani, who will play for Hyderabad Heroes, believes rugby could offer an opportunity. "They have facilities, they have money for them to develop," said Tamani, whose country won Olympic men's rugby gold in 2016, Fiji's first Olympic medal of any colour. India captain Prince Khatri, also of Hyderabad, said training and playing with marquee stars he had previously seen only on television was "a dream come true". "I'm learning a lot," he said. "This is just the beginning." RPL says it has talent scouts going countrywide to draw youngsters into six regional training centres. "That's the real gold dust," said ex-USA coach Friday, now training Kalinga Black Tigers. "Because ultimately the league will happen for 14 days but it's about what happens after in the other 11 months." Baker, a two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, said the league will help fast-track local players. "Having these top-calibre players around will help elevate them," the American said. - Long history, niche sport - Kiran Kumar Grandhi, chairman of GMR Sports, said having "world class" rugby in India will foster grassroots development. GMR has the experience. Part of a New Delhi-based conglomerate spanning airports and highways, GMR owns the IPL's Delhi Capitals and franchises in India's popular Pro Kabaddi League and Ultimate Kho Kho League. India is pushing for both of those tag-type sports to be included in the Olympics. Rugby has a long history in India, dating back to 1871 during British rule. That was when the glittering silver Calcutta Cup was created and it remains the oldest trophy contested between international rugby union teams, in this case England and Scotland. But rugby has remained a niche sport. The RPL's home at the 7,000-capacity Mumbai Football Arena is not even a dedicated rugby pitch. But RPL organisers believe that, just as the IPL saw ratings surge with the T20 transformation of cricket, it can woo fans and sponsors with a version of rugby where matches are over in a fast-and-furious 22 minutes. "The sport is just built for spectators and television," Bose said, adding he ambitiously hopes for 10 to 15 million people to tune in via broadcast giants Star Sports and JioStar. India's Arpan Chhetri, who will play for Bengaluru Bravehearts, said players are focused on one ambition. "Our target is to get into the Olympics," he said. "We will keep going until we succeed." bur-pjm/dh/pst
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
India's rugby sevens venture tries to convert Olympic dreams to reality
Hyderabad Heroes' players take part in a training session at the Cidco football ground in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai on June 7, 2025, ahead of India's Rugby Premier League (Punit PARANJPE) India launches a rugby sevens league this weekend in a bold bid to win fans and bolster dreams of the Olympics in a country where cricket is king. The 34-match Rugby Premier League (RPL) will be staged for two weeks from Sunday in Mumbai and has attracted greats of the game such as the United States' try-scoring machine Perry Baker. Advertisement "Is there space for a sport outside of cricket in India? 100 percent," Rugby India president Rahul Bose told AFP as he hopes to convert sports fans into following the fast-paced, short-form version of rugby union. The RPL is run by GMR Sports, which owns a team in the cricket T20 behemoth that is the Indian Premier League (IPL). It combines Indian rugby players in six franchise teams alongside 30 globally experienced teammates, including current World Rugby Sevens Series stars such as Australia's Maurice Longbottom and Fiji's Filipe Sauturaga. Coaches include former USA mentor Mike Friday, New Zealand legends Tomasi Cama and DJ Forbes, and England great Ben Gollings. Advertisement Bose, a former India rugby international and successful Bollywood actor, has big dreams. "An Indian (rugby) team getting into the Olympics, whether it's men or women, is inevitable," Bose said. Bose believes it could happen within a decade. And that could mean an India team taking part in a home 2036 Olympics, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared he wants to host. "There's a lot of money," Bose said, adding that the budget of the Mumbai-based national rugby federation had grown more than 30-fold. "There's a lot of opportunity." He is coy on precise funding, saying only that overseas stars in the RPL were being paid an "equitable" fee to what they receive in tournaments worldwide. Advertisement - 'Dream come true' - India's overall record at the Olympics is poor, winning only 10 gold medals in its history. Cricket offers an obvious chance to increase that tally when it returns at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but India is keen to be competitive in other sports. Fiji scrum-half Terio Tamani, who will play for Hyderabad Heroes, believes rugby could offer an opportunity. "They have facilities, they have money for them to develop," said Tamani, whose country won Olympic men's rugby gold in 2016, Fiji's first Olympic medal of any colour. India captain Prince Khatri, also of Hyderabad, said training and playing with marquee stars he had previously seen only on television was "a dream come true". Advertisement "I'm learning a lot," he said. "This is just the beginning." RPL says it has talent scouts going countrywide to draw youngsters into six regional training centres. "That's the real gold dust," said ex-USA coach Friday, now training Kalinga Black Tigers. "Because ultimately the league will happen for 14 days but it's about what happens after in the other 11 months." Baker, a two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, said the league will help fast-track local players. "Having these top-calibre players around will help elevate them," the American said. Advertisement - Long history, niche sport - Kiran Kumar Grandhi, chairman of GMR Sports, said having "world class" rugby in India will foster grassroots development. GMR has the experience. Part of a New Delhi-based conglomerate spanning airports and highways, GMR owns the IPL's Delhi Capitals and franchises in India's popular Pro Kabaddi League and Ultimate Kho Kho League. India is pushing for both of those tag-type sports to be included in the Olympics. Rugby has a long history in India, dating back to 1871 during British rule. That was when the glittering silver Calcutta Cup was created and it remains the oldest trophy contested between international rugby union teams, in this case England and Scotland. Advertisement But rugby has remained a niche sport. The RPL's home at the 7,000-capacity Mumbai Football Arena is not even a dedicated rugby pitch. But RPL organisers believe that, just as the IPL saw ratings surge with the T20 transformation of cricket, it can woo fans and sponsors with a version of rugby where matches are over in a fast-and-furious 22 minutes. "The sport is just built for spectators and television," Bose said, adding he ambitiously hopes for 10 to 15 million people to tune in via broadcast giants Star Sports and JioStar. India's Arpan Chhetri, who will play for Bengaluru Bravehearts, said players are focused on one ambition. "Our target is to get into the Olympics," he said. "We will keep going until we succeed." bur-pjm/dh/pst
