Mariah Bell cheer thread: Rise Up

[Fiero425]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to the website but have been a figure skating fan since I first saw Dorothy Hamill. I usually lurk on this site on and off but because of Nathan winning the Olympic gold medal, my interest has picked up again. I love Mariah, too! I just saw this photo that was taken recently in Cancun.

Mariah Bell 🔔 on Instagram: "🏝"

5,901 likes, 48 comments - mariahsk8rbellJune 10, 2022 on : "🏝".

www.instagram.com

Welcome! As an old geezer of 65, I appreciate skating still, but haven't been as emotionally invested as I was back in the 90's! You had so many "real characters" out there to spice it up! It's quite vanilla these days with little to no talk about what's going on behind the scenes! In my day you had Surya Bonaly doing backflips, Oksana Baiul being dramatic, Nancy Kerrigan getting knee-capped, animus between Plushenko & Yagudin, scandalous investigations, & countless TV exhibitions & competitions! Again, welcome and hope you get all you can out of the site and watching skating!

 

[Sylvia]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfEjBW3rfbO/

Nala met @adaripp and @jussipekkakajaala son she has a new best friend! And I realized how untrained Nala is because the energy Adam gives me while coaching is nothing compared to Tony’s training

 

[Sylvia]

Mariah's live interview in Mexico City (at the coaching seminar with Nathan) on Cafecito con Masha's YT channel yesterday - cued up to her answer to the question "What's next for you?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6lqanp_Cxs&t=845s

Audio seems slightly better in the Instagram version: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfSIm6GJjEx/

Photo of her with young skaters: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfUSqXprdx-/
Group photo with Nathan & Katarina Kulgeyko: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfUTP5frpVL/

 

[asaragena1464]

It looks like Mariah performed at the 2022 ISI Benefit Show.

Edge Ice Arena to host world ice competition

Nearly 750 ice skaters are registered to compete in the 2022 ISI World Recreational Team Championships on Aug. 4-7 at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville.

www.dailyherald.com

Repost from Angelina Kastanes and Simone Binsfeld:

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No wonder she was at the rink at GPI this week probably getting ready for this event plus she was coaching some of the younger skaters which was so cute. Plus Nathan was hanging around the rink probably waiting for her, lol. There also was luggage spotted in the background when posing with a young skater.

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[asaragena1464]

There was speculation that Mariah was moving but where to, lol? In her previous IGS, there were a lot of boxes in her garage. In her current IGS, Nala looks pooped from packing up, lol.

Watch this story by Mariah Bell 🔔 on Instagram before it disappears.

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Mariah is scheduled to compete (FS only) as part of Team North America at the Japan Open in October - GSD thread:

2022 Japan Open, October 8 + Carnival on Ice gala

Website: https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/japanopen2022/ Venue: Saitama Super Arena "1st to 3rd place will be determined in a team competition where the total score of the singles (free skate performance) is used as the total score of the team." Skaters...

www.fsuniverse.net

 

[sk9tingfan]

Cross-referenced with the Skating Clean thread. It looks like Mariah may have moved to Texas. Does anyone have thoughts?

Watch this story by Mariah Bell 🔔 on Instagram before it disappears.

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Mariah's older sister, Morgan, coaches in the Dallas area.

Last month, Mariah & Adam reunited for the Alzheimer's Association's #ENDALZ Celebrity Champion photo shoot: https://twitter.com/alzassociation/status/1564347186623791109

Before she left California, "Team Raf" had an end-of-summer get together on the beach with a bonfire - Danielle Montalbano (Brezina) shared a montage reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChyqfG4A0ou/

She did a seminar with Braden Overett for the Denver FSC this past weekend:
Clip of her spinning: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiHSVSGuU6k/
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiHRVh0OeHg/

 

[asaragena1464]

Mariah Bell will be performing at intermission during the Brahmas 2022-23 season home opener on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. against the Oklahoma Warriors at the NYTEX Sports Centre!

Lone Star Brahmas on Instagram: "The Lone Star Brahmas welcome U.S. Olympian and National Champion Figure Skater Mariah Bell! Mariah Bell will be performing at intermission during the Brahmas 2022-23 season home opener on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30

Lone Star Brahmas shared a post on Instagram: "The Lone Star Brahmas welcome U.S. Olympian and National Champion Figure Skater Mariah Bell! Mariah Bell will be performing at intermission during the Brahmas 2022-23 season home opener on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. against the Oklahoma...

www.instagram.com

 

[asaragena1464]

Photos by Candice Bryan of Mariah at the Lone Star Brahmas game!

Candice Bryan on Instagram: "Last night I had the pleasure of photographing @mariahsk8rbell at the Lone Star Brahmas game! #photography #sports #sportsphotography #canon #figureskating #canonsportsphotography #sony #sonyphotography #sonysportsphoto

Candice Bryan shared a post on Instagram: "Last night I had the pleasure of photographing @mariahsk8rbell at the Lone Star Brahmas game! #photography #sports #sportsphotography #canon #figureskating #canonsportsphotography #sony #sonyphotography #sonysportsphotography #sportsphotographer...

www.instagram.com

 

[cheremary]

NYTEX Sports posted an update about the Lone Star Brahmas’ season opener that included the following paragraph about Mariah.

Reigning US National Figure Skating Champion and team USA member, Mariah Bell, performed during the first intermission of the game. Shortly after the Winter Olympics, Mariah officially
moved to North Richland Hills where she will call the NYTEX Sports Centre her skating home. She will be working alongside her sister Morgan Bell as they train the next generation of Olympic skaters.

 

[Wyliefan]

I wonder whether we'll ever see her compete again (outside of the Japan Open and events like that). It seems very unlikely. But it's so strange that the U.S. national champion appears to be slipping quietly into retirement with no fanfare. I wish her luck, but I'll miss her if she's really going.

 

[cheremary]

I wonder whether we'll ever see her compete again (outside of the Japan Open and events like that). It seems very unlikely. But it's so strange that the U.S. national champion appears to be slipping quietly into retirement with no fanfare. I wish her luck, but I'll miss her if she's really going.

Signs do point towards retirement, as she’s been added to the Stars on Ice Canada tour this December. I will certainly miss her as well if that’s the case, but it’s also understandable. Stepping away from one’s competitive career as the reigning national champion, having won a small Worlds medal, and competed at the Olympics (with close friends and training mates) is a pretty storybook ending that few skaters have the privilege to experience.

That said, I’d also welcome seeing her anytime should she wish to continue or come back to competition in the future.

 

[Xela M]

Welcome! As an old geezer of 65, I appreciate skating still, but haven't been as emotionally invested as I was back in the 90's! You had so many "real characters" out there to spice it up! It's quite vanilla these days with little to no talk about what's going on behind the scenes! In my day you had Surya Bonaly doing backflips, Oksana Baiul being dramatic, Nancy Kerrigan getting knee-capped, animus between Plushenko & Yagudin, scandalous investigations, & countless TV exhibitions & competitions! Again, welcome and hope you get all you can out of the site and watching skating!

Omg, how could you forget the Goddess that was Pasha Grishuk and the whole Usova/Zhulin/Navka/Platov/partner-and coach-switching malarkey

 

[Sylvia]

Mariah is in Japan now: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjaCPkNO5CC/

So happy to be here Can’t wait to skate and cheer on the other skaters tomorrow and after that a few fun days of shows! #japanopen #carnivalonice #starsonicejapan

GSD thread:

2022 Japan Open, October 8 + Carnival on Ice gala

Website: https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/japanopen2022/ Venue: Saitama Super Arena "1st to 3rd place will be determined in a team competition where the total score of the singles (free skate performance) is used as the total score of the team." Skaters...

www.fsuniverse.net

 

[Fiero425]

Omg, how could you forget the Goddess that was Pasha Grishuk and the whole Usova/Zhulin/Navka/Platov/partner-and coach-switching malarkey

Who said I forgot? I can't name everyone of interest; will be here all day! Skating had so much going on, but we don't hear much anymore! There's no entertainment value about how Zhulin cheated or abused Maya! I prefer to forget! ;-(

 

[Sylvia]

Another photo from Japan (ETA that "Nanana is a TV Tokyo character"):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1578363259522088960

 

[Sylvia]

Mariah brought back "Both Sides Now" for her Japan Open FS! : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcInp7qi0D4

Jason tweeted 4 photos (Team North America/USA won the silver): https://twitter.com/jasonbskates/status/1578643762934255617

 

[sk9tingfan]

Mariah has formally retired. Looking forward to seeing where she goes next.

Mariah Bell 🔔 on Instagram: "My heart is so full, I am so grateful for the highs and lows, struggles and success. This journey was hard and I didn’t always like it but I did always love it. All of these experiences made me the person I am, a person r

34K likes, 938 comments - mariahsk8rbell on October 12, 2022: "My heart is so full, I am so grateful for the highs and lows, struggles and success. This journey was hard and I didn’t always like it ..."

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

For those without Instagram, here's the full text of her message:

My heart is so full, I am so grateful for the highs and lows, struggles and success. This journey was hard and I didn’t always like it but I did always love it. All of these experiences made me the person I am, a person ready to hang up my competitive skating and take on the next part of my life with knowledge I could only gain through gliding across a cold sheet of ice everyday. My dreams became reality! I learned through perseverance and determination there are no limits. I’ve always strived to be true to myself and not make excuses when things did not go my way and be thankful when they did. I hope others may find inspiration in my career. All good things must come to an end and I am so lucky I am ending with my love of skating at an all time high.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone that supported me, you made my journey so much sweeter.

See you on the ice again but now just for the fun of shows

 

[Wyliefan]

Not surprising, but sad. I'll miss her.

 

[Sylvia]

"Bell is the first U.S. woman to leave competitive skating rather than defend a national title since Sasha Cohen in 2007 and the first to outright end her competitive career as national champion in three decades."

Mariah Bell moves on from competitive figure skating

Mariah Bell, the oldest U.S. women’s figure skating champion in 95 years who made her first Olympics at age 25, is ending her competitive career.

olympics.nbcsports.com

Older sister Morgan's post includes a sweet photo of them as kids : https://www.instagram.com/p/CjoQLqYrJox/

 

[Firedancer]

I am sad to see her go but not surprised. I hope she is proud of all she accomplished in her career. I will definitely miss her.

 

[Wyliefan]

New interview with Mariah. She's planning to go to college.

https://www.teamusa.org/News/2022/October/25/Mariah-Bell-Is-Excited-To-Move-On

 

[Sylvia]

Clip of Mariah skating at the Rink at Campus Martius Park - Detroit's 19th Annual Tree Lighting event - on November 18, 2022: https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClH9w6NjIJK/

Next show appearances:

Grand Tree Lighting Celebration at Galleria Dallas (Texas): https://galleriadallas.com/holiday
Spectacular ice-skating show with a fireworks finale featuring Olympic skaters, and Missile Toes, Galleria’s famed ice-skating Santa.
Friday, November 25 Noon
Saturday, November 26 6pm
I saw an Instagram story by Mariah 2 days ago and she tagged Ashley Cain & Timothy LeDuc as well (I assume they will appear in both shows?).

Info on the 11-city Canadian Stars on Ice holiday tour (Dec. 1-18) can be found here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/2022-canadian-stars-on-ice-tour.109381/page-5#post-6307765

 

[Sylvia]

Mariah's post today (Dec. 31, 2022): https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm2DyQ4uYHE/

You made my dreams come true, brought me new friends, moved me to my first home and ended a 23 year long chapter in my life, I am so grateful for you 2022. This new year is different now, I don’t have set competitions or training to occupy my life and the free time that was overwhelming in the summer is now something I can’t wait to fill. Leaving competition wasn’t easy but I am so full of love for skating and so proud of the little girl that fell in love with being on the ice in the first place. Walking into 2023 wishing everyone happiness and health, HAPPY NEW YEAR

This painting is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC (confirmed in her Instagram stories).

She has a show in Switzerland coming up in January 2023:

Music on Ice - "directed as always by the creator of the format Laurent Tobel" - returns to Bellinzona, Switzerland (last held in 2020) on January 13 & 14, 2023 and the listed performers are Stéphane Lambiel, Annette Dyrtr & Yannick Bonheur, Alexia Paganini, Charlène Guignard & Marco Fabbri, Mariah Bell, Samuel Contesti, Deniss Vasiljevs and Ryan Bradley: https://www.musiconice.com/en/artisti_en.php

 

[Sylvia]

I just noticed today that the Olympics YT channel uploaded both of Mariah's 2022 Olympics programs a month ago:
SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgbXAstbH-c
FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfPw3x-R__I

From USFS' Fan Zone article (Feb. 13, 2023) about Team USA's "behind-the-scenes moments and their favorite off-ice memory at the Games" one year later:

Mariah Bell: Adam [Rippon] took my credential on accident. I finished practice and he was holding all of my things, and then I went through the mixed zone, and there was a lot going on at the Olympics, so the mixed zones were generally pretty long. I didn't have my phone or my credential because he had my things. He hopped on the bus because the bus was like two hours back. It was long with all the stops, so I was stranded at the rink for several hours, but I watched a lot of practice, which was super fun. I still had a week before I competed, so it wasn't a big deal. But the good thing is he made a Tiktok out of it, so at least something came from me sitting at the rink. It's just a funny, iconic Adam thing to do.

Link to Adam's Feb. 5th video (eta) - "I abandoned my student by accident. Not every coach is perfect.": https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZmXTUMFoQe/
First days in Beijing with Mariah & quick look into the practice rink (Feb. 3, 2022): https://www.instagram.com/p/CZhHO09lXgM/

(In the same article - Brandon Frazier: "When I did the cartwheel for NBC on camera at the Closing Ceremony! ... Mariah did a somersault through security.
Alexa Knierim: When Mariah Bell did a somersault through security!)

Her most recent skating appearance was at the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation's Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer Ice Show in Orlando, Florida on March 11th - montage of clips: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cpxg5A6jkzs/
Mariah's photo with Scott: https://www.instagram.com/p/CptYcKCOfQ0/

Mariah recently was named a brand partner in Athleta's The Power of She Collective - March 1, 2023 press release:

Athleta Partners with 11 Elite Athletes to Continue its Mission of Empowering Women and Girls

Today, in honor of Women's History Month and the upcoming International Women's Day, Athleta announced a new, dynamic community of inspirational brand

www.businesswire.com

More info: https://athleta.gap.com/browse/info.do?cid=1214438#mariahBell

ETA from the 2022 Olympians where are they are now Fan Zone article (Feb. 16, 2023):

Mariah Bell: While she now identifies as a "full-time dog and bunny mom," Bell has plenty on her plate. After Beijing, Bell finished just off the podium at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2023 and announced her retirement in October. She toured with Stars on Ice; moved to Fort Worth, Texas; and bought a condo, which is within walking distance of NYTEX Sports Centre where her sister, Morgan, coaches. Bell has dipped her toes into coaching herself, giving lessons at the rink. The 2022 U.S. champion is taking classes at University of Northern Texas, majoring in psychology and minoring in business.

 

[Sylvia]

Happy 27th Birthday, Mariah!

She will be performing in a May 6 show in Ostrava, CZE to celebrate Michal Brezina's career: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrA0mDwIT3E/

Next up for her are 4 "Showtime on Ice" shows, April 21-24 in Centennial, Colorado (south of Denver): https://showtimeonice.com/

She is also the guest performer at the McFetridge Sports Center's 2023 Spring Ice Show: On the Edge of Good & Evil, April 28-30 in Chicago: https://www.mcfetridgesportscenter.com/ice-skating-1/special-events

ETA - ICYMI, she was on This Week in Skating's podcast back on February 8, 2023:

This Week in Skating Podcast

Listen to This Week in Skating Podcast on RedCircle

redcircle.com

"We think 2 and 27 will be our best years yet Thank you all so much for the Birthday love!!!" https://www.instagram.com/p/CrNBDHgOzYt/

 

[Sylvia]

Mariah is on Polina Edmunds' podcast (May 2, 2023):

The Iron Butterfly: The Power of Perseverance (ft. Mariah Bell)

I sit down with National Champion and U.S. Olympian Mariah Bell to discuss her career: when she started skating, moving locations for skating, coaching switches, qualifying for Nationals, the challenges she faced in her eight senior seasons leading up to the 2022 Olympics, adding Adam Rippon to...

bleav.com

I sit down with National Champion and U.S. Olympian Mariah Bell to discuss her career: when she started skating, moving locations for skating, coaching switches, qualifying for Nationals, the challenges she faced in her eight senior seasons leading up to the 2022 Olympics, adding Adam Rippon to her team, how she dealt with a break up and heartbreak during her Olympic season, her Olympic experience, the fun things she got to do post-Olympics, retirement identity struggles, and what she's looking forward to as she paves her own path!

Polina shared a clip of Mariah (who "shares her experience with the complexity of fulfillment when we look at performance-based satisfaction versus results-based satisfaction"): https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrwuNpHJVCo/

 

[Sylvia]

"Saved by the Mariah Bell" - Adam and Sarah (producer of "The Runthrough" podcast; Ashley was away on vacation) chatted with Mariah about her ups and downs of life post-retirement as well as fond memories from her career (July 21, 2023): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...-the-mariah-bell/id1678259172?i=1000621873445
Also available to listen to on this platform:

The Runthrough - Episode 9: Saved by the Mariah Bell | RSS.com

Olympian and U.S. champion Mariah Bell joins the pod to talk about life after skating, being coached by Adam, and figure skating glam. A summer break special!!

rss.com

Clip made by her fan account ("Mariah’s favorite memories with @adaripp as her coach"): https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu-k65Juvb-/ (ETA - before she shared the good memory documented in the clip, they also reminisced, starting right before the 28-minute mark, about the time Adam got mad at her during a lesson before 2022 Nationals because she was being difficult, walked out on her and ended up going shopping; Mariah also recounted Rafael's reaction )

Local Idaho article before Mariah kicked off the Sun Valley summer show season on Thursday, July 6:

Ring the Bell: Former US Olympian set to open 2023 Sun Valley on Ice season

Former U.S. Olympian Mariah Bell will open the 2023 Sun Valley On Ice season on Thursday night at Sun Valley Resort.

magicvalley.com

She traded the rink for the classroom as a freshman studying business and psychology at the University of North Texas, near her home base in Dallas. But Bell said she isn’t sure whether she will continue those fields of study.
“Becoming an Olympian was my most ultimate goal and so having accomplished that, I felt like I really did everything that I wanted to in my competitive career,” Bell told the Times-News. “I also felt like because I had obtained that goal, if I was to continue competing, I would need something else that would make me hungry to continue training at a high level and something you really want to work for.”

But she retired on her terms.
“It was just hard,” Bell said. “I felt like I was at a point where I was just really fulfilled with everything. With the Olympics being four years away, that felt like such a long-time commitment and I was ready to move on to other things in my life.”
Now, Bell coaches part-time and enjoys spending time with her German Shepherd when not at the rink or classroom. To go from a full-time training schedule to a regular life brought a huge adjustment, Bell said. She did, after all, stop her full-time job.
“I would say it was a little bit harder last year when I very first retired because it was kinda a shock to my system,” she said. “But I think it was also nice to take a little bit of a break because I was training at such a high level for so many years.”

Clip of her EX "September" in Sun Valley: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cu5WfvbMeq8/

ETA - her fan account also posted this clip (from someone's Insta story) of Mariah practicing another new EX to "The Power of Love" by Celine Dion: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cu7rDXttDPJ/