Both parents found jobs, but ones that paid about one-third of what they earned previously. No matter how much money you make, it's never enough in figure skating. In 1997 Shelby and Brian finished fourth at the National Championships. Michelle Kwan was the 1996 World Ladies Figure Skating Champion. Her sister Karen is also a top figure skater, ranked fifth in the United States in 1996.
Some parents wisely limit the amount of money and time they are prepared to invest.
Yet she managed to accomplish this without the heavy investment in training that most young tennis players make. Her tennis instruction was limited to group lessons three times a week at a club near her home. Not until three weeks before the U.S. Open did she switch to more expensive private lessons. She turned pro at 15 and at 20 was ranked sixth in the world. If I had been at this point years ago, when I was really young, it would've overwhelmed me.