About Me
Tai Reina Babilonia is a retired American pair skater. With partner Randy Gardner, she was the 1979 World Champion and the 1976-1980 U.S. national champion.
Babilonia & Gardner began skating together when Babilonia was eight years old and Gardner was ten. Their coach was John Nicks. The pair were five-time gold medalists at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and won the gold medal at the 1979 World Figure Skating Championships. They were medal favorites at the 1980 Olympics but were forced to withdraw due to an injury to Gardner.
Babilonia was the first figure skater of partial African American descent to win U.S. and World titles.
Babilonia appeared in the 2006 FOX television program "Skating with Celebrities", partnered with Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner (Decathlon).
In 2008, Babilonia and Gardner announced their retirement from professional figure skating due to a neck injury suffered by Gardner and their advancing ages. She currently resides in Ashland, Oregon. She also designs with Bear Hill Sports an activewear line called Tai.
On March 27, 2010, Tai was the guest of honor at the first One Step Closer HIV AIDS benefit for The AIDS Resource Foundaiton for Children