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Biography
Daniel O'Shea had extra motivation while skating at the 2008 U.S. Championships in St. Paul, Minn.
If he won the novice men's event in his second appearance at nationals, his father promised to buy him a puppy. Danny is now the proud owner of a golden retreiver, Zoey, that matches his medal.
At the competition, he finished first in the short program despite being the first of 12 skaters to take the ice at the Xcel Energy Center. His program to "Spanish Caravan" by George Winston included spread eagle into a double Axel followed by a solid triple toe-double toe and triple Salchow.
He also won the free skate to take the competition by about 10 points over the silver medalist. In his performance patriotic music, Danny landed double Axel to start, then a triple toe-double toe combination and triple Lutz before stepping out of the landing on his triple flip. He went on to land a triple Salchow-double toe-double toe combo, triple toe and a triple Salchow-double combo.
"It's a big step up for me," said Danny, who landed a lutz and flip for the first time in competition while in St. Paul. "My goal was to come in and place in the top four and be on the podium, and I did it."
Winning the novice men's crown at the 2008 U.S. Championships is the most defining moment in his career. In 2007, he finished eighth in his first national competition.
Danny started skating when he was 4 years old. "I moved to Illinois from Michigan, and I was in swimming lessons there, but could not get in here, so I stated skating," he said.
Since then, he has collected various medals including the 2006 Upper Great Lakes Regional Championship, 2006 Midwestern Sectional Championship, 2007 Upper Great Lakes Regional silver medal and 2007 Midwestern Sectional Championship gold, all while competing in the novice division.
Danny made his junior debut by claiming the silver at the international AEGON Challenge Cup in The Hague, Netherlands. In the 2008-09 season, Danny will represent the United States on the Junior Grand Prix circuit.
He is coached by Sandi Delfs and Alex Ouriashev while former ice dancer Suzie Wynne provides his program choreography. Off the ice, Danny works with Jeff Schultz and Elite Fitness Institute trainers.
Danny will graduate from high school in 2009.
He is a member of the honor roll and French Honor Society with the goal of making the U.S. Figure Skating Scholastic Honors Team. Previously, he placed first in the American Mathematics Contest 8 and earned the Certificate of Academic Excellence.
His goal is to get an "awesome summer job" with for Mobile Music: Interactive Entertainment. While he loves music, he is interested in pursuing engineering as a career.
His hobbies include watching movies, playing ultimate Frisbee and football with his friends. Danny also likes dancing, signing off key — "all the time" — and doing the rubix cube, "though nowhere near as good as David Wang," Danny said.
He also likes to spend time with his family. "I have a brother who is nine years older who I am very close with. He and his wife have two children, one boy and one girl, so I am an uncle," Danny said.
Fast Facts
• I love to smile, and try to make people happy.
• I love music! I am actually listening to it right now.
• I played football and soccer on travel leagues until 7th grade.
• I love to dance, and am actually pretty good at it.
• I switched high schools my junior year.
• I have a 4.2 grade point average.
• I want to go to college for Engineering.
Daniel O'Shea Online is written and produced by Daniel O'Shea and his family
in cooperation with Figure Skaters Online and the webmaster.
Photos are courtesy of Leah Adams unless otherwise noted.