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Show ; by A . vf ;m . : V'i- - 3T - .n ,' r a . . VyV,(f t. II II friTpiOTffiiaivninfoitiTOiiji) T3BB)GB &imei (EMDiMKlnnilEI) KEPflUaqiniD World-clas- s ice skater Todd Eldredge never really knew how close his parents came During the Winter Olympics, remembering that for every athlete who made it, thousands didn't. The reasons are many, but a common tale is the lack of money to pursue a dream. Todd Eldredge's is story to cutting his budding career short. Ruth Eldredge knew her young son had skating talent, but she also realized that she and her husband, John, couldn't keep up with the sport's expenses. 1 was two weeks away from bringing him home when he was training in Philadelphia," Ruth says. "He was about 10 then, and we just couldnt afford it anymore. I never really told Todd about it because we didnt want him to worry about it. To this day, he really has no idea what we went through. Or how much his hometown of Chatham, particularly I inspiring, and we offer it here in honor, not won, (S' of those who but of -r- r-p Eldredge, 30, who won his sixth national title last month and captured the bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships in Vancouver last March, now lives and trains in suburban Detroit. But if not for a group of supporters and friends back home in Chatham, he might not have achieved his dreams. The editors ft jonoski 6 American Profile and considered a contender for a medal in the 2002 Winter 'V" Olympics now under way in Sale Lake City, Utah. those who played the game. Page Mass., helped get him where he is now a skater with multiple national titles "Who knows where I wouldve been? speculates Eldredge, who won the 1996 world title and was hoping to earn his first Olympic medal in Salt Lake. Chatham, a quiet town on Cape Cod, is home to 1,667 people, though that number swells during the summer with tourism and summer residents. Two decades ago, as Eldredge was beginning his pursuit of Olympic gold, virtually everyone there knew he was a competitive skater. Almost everyone went to the same school, he says. Chatham is the kind of close-kn- it hometown where the grocer and mail carrier are known by their first names, and everyone knows everyone elses business. So when the Eldredges started struggling to pay for young Todds skating lessons, costumes, and travel, many in Chatham knew and they wanted to help. Initially, they werent sure how, but everyone was determined to help a young boy realize his dream. lb own Helping Norman Howes, and Susie Beck were among the first to aid the young skater and his family. Hoyt had a particular interest in Eldredges Olympic dreams: She and her late husband, Pete Hoyt, a trustee of the U.S. Ski Association (now known as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association) befriended Olympic skater Dorothy Hamill and helped finance her career. Judy Hoyt, Howes, a real estate broker, had known the Eldredge family for years. Becks family owned the Chatham Bars Inn, where several for Todd would be held. fund-raise- rs |