Tag Archives: adult figure skater

My transition …. to a second retirement

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Retiring will give me even more time to enjoy my love of figure skating.

Next year I turn 70! So I need to start some serious planning on my second transition from working. My first transition was 14 years ago when I retired from full time work at IBM at age 55 and started Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer, my diversity and career development consultancy.

Transition From: the first transition will be out of my consulting practice. I now have a fantastic professional who I am preparing to take over my business. Deanna Jones, in addition to training as a consultant is already a most dynamic speaker, especially when she shares her journey of gender transitioning. During this year, she will be assisting me with and attending various trainings I provide, and I hope many of you get a chance to meet her.

Transition To: so when leaving work, that door closes and provides a pathway to open many more doors. Here are a few:

More skating! Do listen to my story of how I started to pursue my dream of becoming a competitive adult figure skater at age 59. Stopping work will provide me the time to enter more figure skating competitions, attend more figure skating camps to build my skills, and more time for lessons.

I would love to travel more! Photos clockwise from top left: Peru, Zanzibar, Finland, Morocco.

More travel! International travel and experiencing the world has always been one of my passions. I have already traveled to more than 65 countries, and there are still several more on my bucket list. I have not yet been to India, South Africa, Argentina, Antarctica … and there are some places in the US I need to go to like Glacier National Park.

Joining corporate boards for pay. With my very broad business experience, I feel I can be a real asset on corporate boards. I have strong strategic and operational experience. I am registered with a leading board placement service, BoardSI, and then even commissioned this excellent executive bio “A trailblazer in diversity management and organizational effectiveness”

More nonprofit board engagement. I am currently on a few boards and committees of nonprofits doing important community work, the LGBT Center of Raleigh, North Carolina Council of Churches and “Gay Sons and Mothers.” I also am the President of Other Sheep, an ecumenical ministry working to help religious leaders in third world countries be more queer inclusive. I need more time to seriously recruit to fill our long time open position of Global Coordinator.

More just hanging out with friends. With not working, I can have the flexibility of taking a 3-hour lunch or a half day long walk with a friend at the spur the moment

And new adventures! What kind of new things may I want to try? I am thinking about trying out for community theater. I have not acted on stage since high school days when I even got one of our high school’s coveted “best acting” awards.

I am excited about transitions ahead!

Four Years Later – My Journey as a Competitive Adult Figure Skater, Including Five Key Lessons

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Former award winner and young skater Katelyn Mitchell of the Central Carolina Skating Club presenting me with a “Get Up Champion” award.

Just before turning 59 years old, I made a major decision which has greatly impacted my life for the good. As a passionate figure skating fan, I decided that I actually wanted to get off the couch and try skating for myself. (See my blog I wrote back then – “Finding a new passion at age 59.”) I bought skates, secured a coach, and began this journey. And it has given me tremendous joy.

And now I look back. Recently at my local figure skating club (The Central Carolina Skating Club) meeting, I was presented one of the inaugural “Get Up Champions” Awards processed through US Figure Skating. I was so touched by the write up my club’s officers submitted:

On behalf of the Central Carolina Skating Club Board of Governors, I nominate Stanley Kimer as a Get Up Champion. Stan is a relative newcomer to skating and our skating club, but he brings so much to the sport! It’s truly inspiring to see how he faces this challenging sport with humor, intelligence and outright joy.

I do love to entertain people while on the ice, including stripping down to a tank top to Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy.”

Paula McKinley (my coach) and he create skating routines that can make even a curmudgeon smile – the joy of skating and entertaining people shines through brightly. The kids welcome him when he participates in summer camp or Bridge classes with them. One little girl told me that she thinks he’s the hardest-working skater on the ice because ‘it’s so hard for him to skate!’

It’s true: skating is hard, and the ice is hard, which resulted in a fractured hip back in 2016, causing him to withdraw from the Peach Open Adult competition and delaying his passing Bronze to compete at Adult Sectionals / Nationals. He’s on the ‘Get Up’ trail again – – no spoilers on his new routine.

Stan’s a ‘lemonade for life’ kind of guy, though: since he couldn’t skate at Nationals in Wake Forest, he volunteered as an ice monitor! He also volunteers at our Club throughout the year and comes to every meeting / award event, when he’s not traveling to watch competitions or attend Champs Camp. We love playing ‘Where’s Stan?’ and finding him in the stands or group photos.

One of his vital contributions to the sport is his blog series on the theme of ‘Get Up.’ He highlighted what most adults face in skating: life gets in the way, sets you back and throws obstacles in your path. As Scott Hamilton says, ‘you just have to get up and keep going.’ Stan definitely gets up twice for every falls he takes.”

I was so honored and truly touched by this marvelous write up. Thank you, Central Carolina Skating Club!

And now for five quick key lessons:

1) Passion! There is nothing more wonderful than pursuing something you are passionate about. Getting on the ice is the favorite part of my day.

There is no place I would rather be than on the ice!

2) Support! A supportive community helps assure success. The Central Carolina Skating Club, the Adult Competitive Figure Skating Facebook group and the US Figure Skating Association are all so supportive of adult skaters, and provide frequent inspiration and assistance.

3) Coaching! Learning a difficult sport (or anything difficult) requires excellent competent teaching and coaching, and I found the perfect coach in Paula McKinley. Read my past blog on the importance of coaching.

4) Hard work! Figure Skating is not easy, especially for an old dude like me. I need to really focus and dedicate myself to the necessary hard work to grow and improve.

5) Commitment! And figure skating is a many year life-long journey. You cannot skate for a few months and then think you know it all. I will likely be learning and growing new skills for the next 20 years. And that excites me.

Again, I thank my blog readers, my coach, my skating club, my skating friends and the US Figure Skating Association for all your encouragement and support along this fantastic journey!