By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Soon after Shirley Sherman learned to walk, she began ice skating at age 4. Her father owned a rink in St. Louis, Mo., where she spent countless hours practicing throughout her childhood. She went on to skate in many interpretive singles competitions over the years.

Skate or no date
Ice skating became such an integral part of Sherman’s life that when she first met her now husband, Lou, she told him that if he wanted to marry her, he’d have to learn to skate. He happily accepted the challenge, and she taught him how to ice skate. They married just eight months after meeting, and together they performed in many ice dancing exhibitions.

“He’s a natural athlete,” Sherman says. “When we met and started skating together, we did it because it was fun.”

When they moved to Chicago in 1955, they joined the Skokie Valley Ice Skating Club. Lou Sherman completely embraced his wife’s passion. He joined the U.S. Figure Skating board and eventually became the president of their local skating club.

“They wanted someone to take over who really cared about the kids,” Lou Sherman says.

The couple formed many close friendships through the skating club and keep in touch with many of the people they met to this day.

In 1968, Shirley Sherman was qualified to judge ice skating competitions, and in 1979, she was appointed a national judge. Winners of the U.S. nationals go on to compete in the World Figure Skating Championships, which qualify  them for the Olympics.

Now, after 50 years of marriage and two children, the Shermans are still actively involved in the sport that drew them together.

Judging competitions
Although Shirley Sherman has retired from her career in fashion design,  she hasn’t retired from ice skating. She still travels the country to judge about ten skating competitions every year. Her husband accompanies her to many of the competitions, where they have the chance to catch up with old friends.