Browning Reunites with Cancer Survivor

[Iceman]

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.c...rticle/1465363

[Garden Kitty]

I've always liked Kurt and that's a great article. Kudos to this woman for the courage and spirit she's shown in the last 20 years too.

Thanks for the link.

[skatesindreams]

I've always liked Kurt and that's a great article. Kudos to this woman for the courage and spirit she's shown in the last 20 years too.

Thanks for the link.

Ditto for me, as well!

[leapfrogonice]

Kurt Browning is THE class act in Canadian Skating.

[Michael O'C]

Kurt Browning is THE class act in Canadian Skating.

He certainly is a great person. Here's something I witnessed in person that show's the kind of person he is.

It was at the Worlds in Calgary. A girl from Spain , I think it was, was skating and just about everything that could go wrong did. She left the ice in tears and I remember that a little girl near me who threw her a big toy moose was in tears too. Naturally, the skater didn't get very good marks. A while later, the person sitting beside me pointed out that the skater and her coach were sitting in the seats directly across the ice from us. She was hugging her moose tightly. None other than Kurt joined them. Kurt sat talking to the girl for a long time. I am sure that he brought a lot of comfort to the girl. Kurt is a credit to Canadian skating.

[paskatefan]

Kurt Browning is THE class act in Canadian Skating.

Absolutely!

He certainly is a great person. Here's something I witnessed in person that show's the kind of person he is.

It was at the Worlds in Calgary. A girl from Spain , I think it was, was skating and just about everything that could go wrong did. She left the ice in tears and I remember that a little girl near me who threw her a big toy moose was in tears too. Naturally, the skater didn't get very good marks. A while later, the person sitting beside me pointed out that the skater and her coach were sitting in the seats directly across the ice from us. She was hugging her moose tightly. None other than Kurt joined them. Kurt sat talking to the girl for a long time. I am sure that he brought a lot of comfort to the girl. Kurt is a credit to Canadian skating.

Great story, great guy!

[BittyBug]

I second the accolades. I've had the occasion to work at several events in which Kurt has participated, and he has consistently been humble, gracious, and thoroughly engaged with everyone around him. Truly a great guy.

[Rosietwo]

Another KB story: This was some time ago...Canadian Championships in Edmonton I think when Elvis won the title. During the Gala there was a demonstration by young Special Olympic skaters and they were also part of the finale when all the skaters were out on the ice. At the end the overhead lights were turned off and there was a big display of fireworks set off. Somehow one of the special skaters, a young girl, got separated from the main group of skaters - she was stranded down at the far end with all the fireworks going off around her. She was crying and I was astonished that no one seemed to notice her distress.....but then suddenly Kurt was there...he put his arms around her and guided her back up to the main group and then stayed with her until everything was all over. When I mentioned this later hardly anyone had even noticed it.

[WildRose]

Somehow one of the special skaters, a young girl, got separated from the main group of skaters - she was stranded down at the far end with all the fireworks going off around her. She was crying and I was astonished that no one seemed to notice her distress.....but then suddenly Kurt was there...he put his arms around her and guided her back up to the main group and then stayed with her until everything was all over. When I mentioned this later hardly anyone had even noticed it.

I was there and remember it as well - it was a very compassionate, classy thing for Kurt to do.

[tapper88]

I first met Kurt at a Meet and Greet before Stars on Ice in Vancouver last year. I was amazed by how wonderful, gracious and warm he is. When I asked him if I could take a picture, he pulled me in, put his arm around me, and gave me a squeeze. None of the other skaters did that!

He's really easy to talk to. I adore him! What a fantastic skater too

[fan]

A couple of weeks ago, I got the shock of my life when kurt browning and jeff buttle showed up on my session to work on stars on ice choreography.

i totally fangirled kurt - i went up to him and told him that he was the inspiration for my starting to skate. He gave he gave me a big hug, and was super gracious and friendly, and if possible, was even more charismatic in person than on tv.

i thought afterwards that he might have thought i was a special oplympics skater (i now wear a helmet post-severe concussion), and that's why he was so nice to me, but apparently he's that friendly to everyone!

he's a lovely man - a genuinely goodhearted soul.

[demetriosj]

God bless him!

[Teenes]

I've done a website for Kurt for over a decade so I have a ton of up-close experience at how warm, friendly, generous, humble, grateful, real, etc he can be - both in how he has interacted with me and watching him interact with others. It really strikes me how considerate he is, though. For instance, last year my sisters came to Stars on Ice and I really wanted them to meet him, so he came out at intermission specifically to make sure he'd meet them. We were supposed to meet by the tunnel, but when I apologized because my sisters couldn't figure out how to get down to ice level (I was shooting the show so I wasn't sitting with them), without a second's pause, he said "well, let's go to them" and promptly climbed up over the barrier into the stands, offered me a hand to pull me up, and went straight to them and introduced himself. I was like, are you sure you want to do that...and sure enough, as soon as he was spotted, fans started approaching him for autographs and photos, which he graciously signed and posed for until he finally had to tell them he had to go, or they wouldn't be able to start the second act of the show. He absolutely didn't have to do it, and he must have known what would happen, but he didn't even give it a second's thought.

[Sylvia]

Even though the December 2011 article link in the first post no longer works (ETA that the article is archived on the Kurt Files site, not surprisingly!), I'm bumping this up to post a new article that's in the spirit of this "Kurt fan gush" thread : World-champion on Quesnel [B.C.] ice
Excerpt:

He enjoys working with the kids, and inspiring them to greater heights.

“I’ve never really been interested in coaching that much. I do love inspiring. I don’t think I will ever be a coach, but I could be an ‘inspiralist’,” Browning said with a smile.

And he’s good at inspiring; the best coach Sharon Chow has ever seen.

“He truly, truly has to be the most inspirational, motivational seminar leader I’ve ever come across,” Chow said, adding the kids would probably remember it their whole lives.

But to do that, he needed the kids to open up and that was a job in and of itself. He used all his considerable people skills and positive personality to ease the kids out of theirselves. Though that backfired a little with the younger kids.

“I think I was a little more personality than they were expecting,” Browning said.

[Jenny81]

Oh.. Kurt...
The more I know him, the more I like him.
He's such a nice person.

[Scrufflet]

Love love love these stories! During Battle of the Blades, Dick Button was there and he must have been feeling a little off. He was on the ice at the end, looked wobbly and guess who quietly went over and steadied him in a way that most wouldn't have noticed. I did because I have terrible balance.

I'm going to SOIToronto next week and I really really want to meet him and get a picture! I think I'm about the only person in the world who hasn't met him! I love all the skaters but I really want him at Meet & Greet.

[Yazmeen]

I have never heard one thing about Kurt Browning that suggests he is anything less than a totally classy, caring, and kind person. Not to mention one hell of a skater and innovator. First rate, all around.

[essence_of_soy]

More and more, it's not about medals, but reading moving stories like these, that make skaters champions. Kurt sounds like an amazing, grounded, guy.

[essence_of_soy]

I was there and remember it as well - it was a very compassionate, classy thing for Kurt to do.

I was at Canadians in '94 high in the stands and those fireworks were overwhelming. Even Michael Slipchuck was covering himself when he skated. I'm so relieved Kurt was there to make sure she was okay.

[AragornElessar]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

His Parents did a good job.