Three Time Olympian Ice Skater Todd Eldredge is Coaching at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida

I've always been a fan of three time Olympian Todd Eldredge, so I was surprised and delighted to see him perform at a children's recital at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida recently. It turns out Todd was not just visiting. He has actually moved to Estero, Florida, and in between training and touring, Todd Eldredge will also be teaching ice skating!

This is great news for Southwest Florida, not usually a place one thinks of in connection with big-name ice skaters. Ice-skating itself is relatively new to the area, arriving with the building of Germain Arena in 1998. The 171,000 ft. building houses a central ice skating rink, two recreational rinks, a restaurant called Breakaway Sports Pub, meeting spaces, luxury suites and a pro shop.

Gradually people in Southwest Florida began taking advantage of Germain Arena's recreational ice skating, hockey and figure skating lessons, concerts, and ice skating performances by touring groups such as Stars On Ice. The hockey program, boosted by the Everblades East Coast Hockey League, has already been enjoying a reputation nationwide. But now, thanks to Todd Eldredge and his coach, Richard Callaghan, Germain Arena in Estero, Florida will begin training young ice skaters whose ambitious dreams can now be realized. Richard Callaghan, who is the chief operating officer of Champions of America Competitive Skating Team, has trained ice skating champions and Olympians, such as Tara Lipinski, Nicole Bobek, Shizuka Arakawa, Kimmie Meissner, and of course, Todd Eldredge.

Todd Eldredge, given hockey skates for a Christmas gift at the age of five, quickly decided he wanted to do figure skating instead. By the time he retired from Olympic eligible skating in 2002, Todd Eldredge had achieved status as a World Champion, six-time World medalist, six-time U.S. National Champion and a three time Olympian. Todd has continued skating with Stars On Ice, as well as actively participating in charitable endeavors. Recently 38-year old Todd Eldredge has joined, Richard Callaghan, his coach since Todd was ten years old, at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida to coach competitive skaters and future Olympiads. Plus, says Todd, other big name stars will be attracted to the large arena when they want a warm place to train.

When he's not playing golf, exploring the local waterways and the Gulf of Mexico in the boat he plans to buy, training, and touring with Stars On Ice, he spends his time coaching children in ice skating, the sport he's loved since he was a child himself. Judging from the more than 200 excited, young ice skaters in Sunday's performance, Todd Eldredge will have his pick of future Olympian ice skaters to train at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida.

Resources:

Personal Experience

http://www.toddeldredge.net/biography.shtml

http://www.naplesnews.com/photos/galleries/2009/nov/28/going-gold/91758/

https://floridaweekly.our-hometown.com/news/2009-10-07/Top_News/Olympic_Coach_Richard_Callaghan_Olympian_Todd_Eldr.html

http://www.news-press.com/article/20091205/NEWS0102/912050341/1075/Olympian-ice-skater-moves-to-Estero-to-teach

http://www.naplesnews.com/places/germain_arena/

http://www.starsonice.com/figure-skating/?em1=888_-1__0_~0_-1_11_2009_0_0&content=news