Tom Zakrajsek (pronounced ''Za-cry-sheck''; born December 10, 1963) is an American

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...

coach and former competitive skater. As a skater, he competed as a senior on the national level. He coaches at the

Broadmoor Skating Club The Broadmoor Skating Club is a figure skating club based in Colorado Springs, Colorado that has long been a major training center for the sport of figure skating. Founded in 1939, it was originally known as the Pikes Peak Skating Club, and was b ...

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010 United States Census, 2 ...

Skating career

Zakrajsek first went skating at age 7 but did poorly. He came back to the sport three years later and started training. His training locations included

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, and

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

. He was coached by Norma Sahlin for seven years. He competed in men's singles, including winning the junior title at the 1979 Eastern Great Lakes Regional Championship and the senior title at the 1986 Southwestern Regional Championship. He competed in men's singles at the U.S. Nationals five times, once as a junior (1983) and four times as a senior (1985-1988). He also competed in

pair skating Pair skating is a figure skating discipline defined by the International Skating Union (ISU) as "the skating of two persons in unison who perform their movements in such harmony with each other as to give the impression of genuine Pair Skating ...

with Sheila Nobles at 1985 Nationals, finishing 12th. After retiring from competition, he toured with

Disney on Ice Walt Disney's World on Ice is a series of touring ice shows produced by Feld Entertainment's Ice Follies And Holiday on Ice, Inc. division under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure ska ...

Coaching career

Zakrajsek began coaching in 1991 in

Saint Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri, Buchanan County, Missouri, United States. A small portion of the city extends north into Andrew County, Missouri, Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the princ ...

, and later moved to the

. His current and former students include: *

Max Aaron Maxwell Theodore "Max" Aaron (born February 25, 1992) is an American former figure skater. He is the 2013 U.S. national champion, the 2015 Skate America champion, the 2011 U.S. national junior champion, and a three-time U.S. International Cl ...

, 2013 U.S. national champion *

Jeremy Abbott Jeremy Abbott (born June 5, 1985) is a former American Figure skating, figure skater. He is the 2008 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, Grand Prix Final champion, a two-time (2007, 2011) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Four Conti ...

, 2009 and 2010 U.S. national champion *

Ryan Bradley Ryan Scott Bradley (born November 17, 1983) is an American former competitive Figure skating, figure skater. He is the 2008 Skate Canada International silver medalist, the 2009 Skate America bronze medalist, the 2011 United States Figure Skating ...

, 2011 U.S. national champion, coached Bradley for 22 years *

Joshua Farris Joshua Farris (born January 6, 1995) is a retired American competitive figure skater. He is the 2015 Four Continents silver medalist, the 2013 World Junior Championship gold medalist, a two-time Junior Grand Prix Final medalist (silver in 2012, ...

Rachael Flatt Rachael Elizabeth Flatt (born July 21, 1992) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2008 World Junior champion, a winner of four silver medals on the Grand Prix series, and the 2010 U.S. national champion. She was nomina ...

, 2010 Olympian, 2010 U.S. national champion and 2008 World Junior champion * Alexe Gilles, 2008 U.S. national junior champion * Kaja Hanevold * Alexandra Kamieniecki *

Austin Kanallakan Austin Kanallakan (born May 23, 1991) is an American former competitive figure skater. He won three gold medals in the ISU Junior Grand Prix The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is ...

, 2007 U.S. national junior bronze medalist *

Ann Patrice McDonough Ann Patrice McDonough (born May 29, 1985) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2002 World Junior champion and the 2003 U.S. national pewter medalist. McDonough retired from competition in 2004. Personal life Ann Patric ...

, 2002 World Junior champion *

Keauna McLaughlin Keauna Inaba McLaughlin (born September 25, 1992) is an American former competitive pair skater. With partner Rockne Brubaker, she is the 2008 & 2009 U.S. National Champion, the 2010 Four Continents silver medalist, and the 2007 World Junior ...

Rockne Brubaker Rockne Lee Brubaker, II (born June 21, 1986) is an American former competitive pair skater. With Keauna McLaughlin, he is the 2010 Four Continents silver medalist, the 2007 World Junior champion, and a two-time (2008–2009) U.S. national cha ...

Brandon Mroz Brandon Mroz (born December 22, 1990) is an American former competitive single skating, figure skater. He is the 2009 United States Figure Skating Championships, U.S. silver medalist and the 2006 & 2007 ISU Junior Grand Prix, Junior Grand Prix Fi ...

, 2009 U.S. national silver medalist *

Mirai Nagasu is an American former competitive Figure skating, figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2018 Olympic Games team event bronze medalist, three-time Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Four Co ...

, 2018 Olympian, 2018 U.S. national silver medalist * Paul Bonifacio Parkinson *

Andrei Rogozine Andrei Rogozine (; born 29 January 1993) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. He is the 2011 World Junior champion, 2010 JGP Final bronze medallist, and 2013 Canadian national bronze medallist. Personal life Andrei Rogozine was b ...

Bradie Tennell Bradie Tennell (born January 31, 1998) is an American Figure skating, figure skater. She is a Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics, 2018 Olympic team event bronze medalist, the 2025 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2025 Four Co ...

, coached from 2020. *

Agnes Zawadzki Agnes Elizabeth Zawadzki (born July 31, 1994) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2012 Cup of Russia, Rostelecom Cup bronze medalist and a two-time U.S. Figure Skating Championships, U.S. national bronze medalist (2012 U.S ...

, 2010 World Junior silver medalist, coached her 2008–2011 and from October 2013 *

Vincent Zhou Vincent Zhou (born October 25, 2000) is an American figure skater. He is a 2022 Olympic gold medalist in the team event, a two-time World bronze medalist (2019 and 2022), the 2019 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2021 Skate America champ ...

, 2018 Olympian, 2018 U.S. national bronze medalist Zakrajsek was named the 2009 PSA Coach of the Year. He was nominated for the award in 2011.

Personal life

Zakrajsek was born on December 10, 1963. He has

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

and

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

n ancestry. He studied at Missouri Western State College. He has a master's degree in science. He has two sisters and a brother. His siblings and parents all skated recreationally. His wife, Susan, is a teacher; they have a daughter, Madison, and a son, Dylan, who is two years younger.

References

External links

Official website of Tom Zakrajsek

Broadmoor Skating Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zakrajsek, Tom 1963 births American male single skaters American figure skating coaches Living people American people of Polish descent American people of Slovenian descent 20th-century American sportsmen