About Us

Stephanie Westerfeld

1961 U.S. ladies silver medalist

Stephanie ("Steffi") Westerfeld, 17, was first known as the Broadmoor Skating Club's little mascot and grew into its ice princess. Born in Kansas City, Mo., Westerfeld began skating at age 4 because of her older sister, Sharon ("Sherri"), who first tried skating during a summer family vacation to Colorado Springs with parents Otto and Myra Westerfeld. The Westerfeld sisters trained in Kansas City and at the Broadmoor Ice Palace every summer. Myra decided the girls needed year-round training at the Broadmoor, and the three Westerfeld women permanently moved to Colorado Springs in 1949. Steffi's coaches included Mary Jane Halstead, Patty Sonnekson, Eileen Seigh Honnen and Edi Scholdan, who taught her starting at age 10. She was a four-time Midwestern Sectional ladies champion, three-time U.S. junior ladies medalist and featured star of the annual Broadmoor Ice Revue. She was also a proficient ballroom dancer and an award-winning classical pianist. After placing second at the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Westerfeld was named to the 1961 U.S. World Figure Skating Team, after which she finished fourth at the 1961 North American Figure Skating Championships in Philadelphia. She was scheduled to compete at a national high school piano competition in Philadelphia in February but instead chose to join her 17 teammates to fly to the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships. Sherri, 25, accompanied her sister to Prague--the first international flight for both sisters.

Bio written by Patricia Shelley Bushman, author of Indelible Tracings.