Weiss is a three-time U.S. National Figure Skating champion, a two-time Olympian, and a Washington-area native and resident. His foundation, the Michael Weiss Foundation, will host its sixth annual Ice Champions Live event on Sunday at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington. Tell me about Ice Champions Live. We do this to raise money for my foundation. We award scholarships to up-and-coming U.S. Olympic hopefuls who have trouble meeting the demanding costs of training for figure skating competitions. All the skaters donate their time. We have Brian Boitano, and Ilia Kulik, myself and Kimmie Meissner — all national, world or Olympic champions.
How will this year’s event be different than in years past? This is a smaller venue, and we bring seating right out on the ice. So it gives the audience an opportunity to really get up close, where you can get a sense of the size and speed of the jumps and the ability of the skaters.
What gave you the idea for your foundation? I started [skating] at a young age, and I had two older sisters. One was a skater, and one was a champion in diving. So my parents were dealing with a lot of costs and expenses for me and my sisters. It put a big financial burden and stress on my family. So I always said if I ever reached a point where I would be able to use my own success to give back and to help somebody else in that situation, that I would. … All the money that we raise goes right out on scholarships. We’ve awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships so far. Everything is donated for the event, so that’s how we’ve been able to give so much back. – Markham Heid
— Markham Heid
