Karen Magnussen News

Ladskater · Dec 26, 2013

This is really sad news about Karen Magnussen. She can no longer teach figure skating because of her injury from the ammonia leak at the North Shore Winter club 2 years ago. What a shame.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...t-unsafe-rink-ended-coaching-career-1.2460500

cinnamon · Dec 26, 2013

Too bad. I feel very very sorry for her.
I remember her skating and rivalry with Janet Lynn very well.

iluvtodd · Dec 26, 2013

I don't remember the rivalry, but this is just awful for her.

Olympia · Dec 26, 2013

This is an agonizing post to read. It reminds me of those horrible accounts of soldiers who were gassed during World War I and lived with significant, painful, and crippling disabilities afterwards. To add to the tragedy, this outcome was avoidable. The leak seems to be completely due to negligence and lack of safety precautions. The people involved should be imprisoned. And the fact that she gets no compensation, and the rink doesn't even communicate with her? How can that be possible for someone who has contributed so much to Canadian skating and who was clearly not at any fault whatsoever for her injury? I hope that Canadian GS members can keep us updated and can report some better outcome in the future.

The minute I saw her photo, I knew that she was being given steroids, which add their own complications, as she details in the article. I continue to hope that Magnussen will see some improvement in the future, but lungs are such delicate tissue, and steroids really do a number on the body when given in large doses.

brightphoton · Dec 26, 2013

It's clear how high important the safety and well-being of skaters is to the North Shore Winter Club, at least compared to covering their own butts.

MFarone · Dec 26, 2013

This is so sad. When I read she hoped to coach into her 80s, I thought that was a little overly ambitious. I realized after reading the article that John Nicks is in his 80s, Frank Carroll is in his 70s, Ron Ludington is probably 80, many of the Russian coaches are in their 70s+, so her idea of coaching that long was probably possible until this happened.

So very sorry for her and I hope that she able to receive some type of disability payments.

pangtongfan · Dec 26, 2013

I find it more and more upsetting each time I hear the news. I honestly whether if her life is at stake at this point. She might be receiving no income at all as it sounds disability are trying to refuse her, and wellfare is not enough for anyone to live on, especialy on with special needs. She also says she gained 60 pounds due to the medication she has to take, in the last year alone. She cant continue to live if her weight keeps raising like that either.

dorispulaski · Dec 26, 2013

What she may need is a lung transplant, and given the negligence involved, the rink should pay for it. But that isn't going to happen.

pangtongfan · Dec 26, 2013

dorispulaski said:
What she may need is a lung transplant, and given the negligence involved, the rink should pay for it. But that isn't going to happen.

Well someone has to. If she ends up passing away due to this I hope the rink is dumped upon with a multi millon dollar lawsuit that bankrupts everyone legitimately involved for life. Disgusting pieces of human garbage, all of them! They are 110% responsible for this, and to even attempt to deny it is cowardly and immoral.

Olympia · Dec 26, 2013

Is there not in all of Canada a lawyer who would donate his or her services pro bono to get Magnussen the medical help she needs and the compensation she deserves? This was clearly an act of criminal negligence, whatever the exact Canadian legal term, and someone can surely make the case against the owners of the rink. Some years ago, when Beech Nut baby foods was found to have deliberately sold adulterated apple juice, two executives were tried and convicted. The company itself had to pay a $2 million fine. This was a huge corporation, and still it and its executives were not immune from punishment, including jail time and a fine levied on the individuals themselves. And no one got as sick from the fraudulent foods as Magnussen is now. So why is there seemingly no recourse in this case, where not only Magnussen herself but several rink workers were injured, and a number of children were placed in imminent danger?

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/18/b...-of-beech-nut-guilty-in-phony-juice-case.html

colleen o'neill · Dec 27, 2013

This story is simply horrific.. it just breaks your heart.

Olympia ..though Canadian, heaven knows I'm no legal expert..Maybe there is / will be some recourse for her..We may well have a few lawyers with hearts in the right places ( I know people who have found them )... but we have ( I believe) some caps in place as to settlements and nothing like the kind of compensation that would be possible in the US is possible here.. Still, anything would be an improvement.

Karen Magnussen News

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

cinnamon

iluvtodd

Olympia

brightphoton

MFarone

pangtongfan

Match Penalty

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

pangtongfan

Match Penalty

Olympia

colleen o'neill

Similar threads

Connect with us