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Elizabeth Manley
Elizabeth Manley
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It was the performance of Manley's life. Taking
to the ice at the 1988 Calgary Olympics for a long program
watched by millions, the 22-year-old Manley reached deep within
herself to beat the odds. Delivering a flawless performance
that outshone those of celebrated rivals Katarina Witt and
Debi Thomas, Manley not only won the silver medal but also
the hearts of Canadians from coast to coast. The demons in
Manley's life didn't disappear with that silver medal in Calgary,
however, as wild weight swings, depression, money problems,
drug rumours and her crippling insecurities will attest. As
viewers will discover in Happily Ever After...The Elizabeth
Manley Story, everything was magnified in the demanding world
of figure skating. Manley's mother, Joan, admits, "To be honest
if I were to start all over again, I don't think I'd have
put her into skating. As far as she's concerned, I think she
most likely thinks it was worth it but as far as I'm concerned
I don't think it was worth it."
"This is a much darker story than most people realize," says
producer/director Richard Martyn. "I think most people would
assume that Elizabeth won the silver medal in Calgary then
lived happily ever after like Cinderella. But this is far
from a fairy tale. What we've tried to portray is just what
sort of toll the image-conscious attitude of figure skating
can take on someone like Elizabeth."
Original Air Date - January 29, 2002
Links
An
Elizabeth Manley fan page
Liz
Manley skating photos
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