Profile Name Daniel Curzon Nickname Danny Birth date May 19, 1987 Birthplace Phoenix, Arizona Hometown Scottsdale, Arizona

Biography

Daniel Curzon was born May 19, 1987, in Phoenix to Tom and Anne.

He started skating with his family in 1994. "My brother Peter, my dad and I began taking Learn-to-Skate classes together, while my mom was a couple of classes ahead of us," he said. "Peter and I wanted to play hockey, but my mom convinced us that it would be easier to learn on figure skates, and so we eventually just stuck with it."

Danny began pairs skating when he was 11. Before teaming up with Chelsi Guillen in 2006, Danny previously skated pairs with Jenna Yount (2000-01), Molly Aaron (2002-04) and Katie Boxwell (2005-06).

The highlight of his career was "placing eighth in junior pairs at 2007 Nationals in Spokane, Wash., which earned us a trip to our first Junior Grand Prix (in Tallinn, Estonia)," he said.

"My goals for this season are earning a second Junior Grand Prix assignment and medaling at nationals," he also said. "My overall goal in skating is to continue to compete internationally for Team USA and have success at the highest level of the sport."

But skating is not the only thing that keeps him busy.

"I work at iMemories, which is a Scottsdale-based company that converts film, video, photos, and slides to digital forms on CDs or DVDs," said Danny, who is pursuing a B.A. in English Literature at Arizona State University in Tempe. He has been on the Dean's List for three years.

Danny was a member of the 2005 State Farm Scholastic Honors Team in high school. Other awards he received include the National Merit Commended Student Varsity Award, Four Year Varsity Award and Pursuing Victory With Honor Award for playing lacrosse.

His hobbies include golfing, sailing, reading and music.

Work hard is his advice to young skaters. "Hard work ultimately beats talent when talent doesn't work hard," Danny said. "Also, in the words of Jim Valvano, former head basketball coach at N.C. State who passed away from terminal cancer in 1993, 'Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.'"

Fast Facts

• I have a black belt in Taekwon-do.

• I earned my Eagle Scout in 2003.

• I speak French moderately well.

• I play golf with my dad every Sunday.

• I have been dating my girlfriend Kelsey Syme for over three years.

• In 2004-2005, I served as my skating club's President of the Junior Board.

• I volunteered at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.