The real story behind “I, Tonya”, a film for which Margot Robbie was nominated for an Oscar

In 1994, an unprecedented event shook the world of figure skating, turning American Tonya Harding into “the greatest villain in the history of the sport in the United States”. The scandal, paradoxically, increased the popularity of skating. Tonya, however, never recovered and was unable to return to professional skating.

The film I, Tonya, of 2017, based on the story of the figure skater, a role played by Margot Robbie, and received several Oscar nominations, including best actress. O awesome.club decided to research the facts behind the film and wants to share them in this post with you readers.

Considered a villain by many people and a heroine or victim by others, Tonya Harding is, without a doubt, a typical character of American culture.as we will show next🇧🇷 Unfortunately, his figure skating successes were overshadowed by an incident that would mark his life forever.

Tonya Maxene Harding (that’s her full name) was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1970, the daughter of LaVona Golden and Albert Gordon Harding. At the age of four she started to train figure skating with instructor Diane Rawlinson, showing great potential.

In addition to spending many hours at the ice rink, Tonya studied auto mechanics and used to hunt with her father. Her mother, LaVona, was a waitress and financed all of Tonya’s skating lessons, as well as sewing all of her competition attire. LaVona was a strong-willed woman and very demanding of her daughter when it came to skating. It was common, for example, to hit the girl if she made a mistake during training.

When her parents split up, Tonya stayed with her mother, but their relationship wasn’t good.🇧🇷 The skater even declared that she never felt loved by LaVona and that since she was a little girl she was a victim of physical and psychological abuse. Her trainer, Diane, was aware of these abuses but didn’t do anything about it because she “believed that skating was her way of escaping the mud. Also, if Tonya had been sent to another family, she would have missed out on skating.”

Tonya Harding and her trainer, Diane Rawlinson

In 2008, Tonya revealed in her authorized biography (The Tonya Tapes) who, in his youth, was the victim of sexual abuse by his half-brother, Chris Davidson, on several occasions, and who, in 1991, lived a similar situation with a “friend”, but preferred not to say his name.

Tonya was so involved in skating that she dropped out of high school to devote herself exclusively to the sport—she later earned a certificate of equivalence, thereby earning her degree. At age 15, started a relationship with Jeff Gillooly, two years older than her. Jeff has always been very involved with Tonya’s career, and in 1990, when she was 19, they got married.

Increasingly focused, Tonya was excelling in the sport. In 1990, she was already one of the favorites to win the United States Figure Skating Championship. But asthma and the fact that not having the ideal appearance of an American figure skater weighed against her on that occasion.

His big moment came in 1991, when he became the first American to complete a triple Axel (and second in the world), a three-and-a-half lap jump that involves a high degree of complexity, earning a six on technical merit, something not seen since 1973.

That year, he won the United States Championship and placed second at the Worlds, sharing the podium with fellow countrymen Kristi Yamaguchi, in first place, and Nancy Kerrigan, in third.

Despite professional success, her marriage was a nightmare. Jeff was a violent man and even once shot her, but the bullet bounced off the ground, hitting her in the face (he denies the charge). In 1993, Tonya decided to leave him and they divorced.

Tonya’s rise was not easy. Technically, she was perfect. She had a free and powerful style and her vigor was remarkable. However, her rebellious bangs and clothes made by her mother, as well as her developed muscles and her attitudes considered unfeminine, did not captivate neither the judges nor the sponsors.

On the other side of the story was figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, who became more popular with each competition. Nancy had a perfect body, she was slender and her movements were graceful. The princess from a story in which Tonya seemed to have no role unless she became a villain.

On January 6, 1994, the story would reach its climax, when Nancy was attacked after training, being hit several times above the right knee by a retractable baton. The intention seemed obvious: to prevent her from participating in national competitions and the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

Those responsible for the attack were far from professional criminals and committed several “mistakes”: they stayed in a hotel under their real names before the crime and their credit cards left an easy trail. It took only two days to be arrested. They were part of a gang that called itself “The Hit Team”, led by Shawn Eckardt, who even made a point of telling everyone who was behind the attack.

Eckardt was friends with Jeff, Tonya’s ex-husband; so the police and the media easily “guessed” the rest of the story. Everyone involved, including your ex-husbandaccused Tonya of being the real mastermind behind the attack.

Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan training in Norway

Be that as it may, while the police investigation was ongoing, Nancy was recovering from her injuries, at the same time as Tonya won the National Championship and qualified for the Winter Olympics. However, the responsible committee decided that while Nancy could not be in the qualifying competition, she would have secured a spot in the Olympic contest.

With one month left until Tonya and Nancy go head-to-head at the Games, the story had already turned into a media circus. The press was stationed outside the two skaters’ house, waiting for some statement. Journalists followed them wherever they went. While Nancy prepared on private skating rinks, Tonya had to train on free mall rinks, as at that time, there was practically no interest from sponsors.

With the scandal in full swing, the American Olympic Committee suggested that Tonya voluntarily withdraw from the competition, but she was unwilling to resign and responded with a $10 million lawsuit. The skater did not receive the money, but participated in the Olympics, as she had not been formally charged.

The American public was looking forward to the Tonya’s encounter with Nancy at the competition, turning this moment into third most watched sporting event in the country’s history. They didn’t speak to each other. Nancy shone in her participation and won the silver medal (although many claimed she deserved the gold), while Tonya barely managed to get eighth place, after a somewhat troubled participation, in which she had to start over because of a problem with the shoelace.

Upon returning to the United States, Tonya was found guilty of obstruction of justice and confessed that she did not know about the plans to attack Nancy, but that, days after the episode, she discovered that her ex-husband was involved. She had hidden this fact from the police because he had threatened her.

In addition to paying a fine and providing community service, the skater had her 1994 national champion title withdrawn and was even declared persona non grata by the Figure Skating Association of the United States. At the age of 23, she was banned from competing professionally and from acting as a coach.

Away from skating, Tonya tried her luck in a new sport, becoming a boxer, but after participating in a few fights, she abandoned the sport. She also worked as a welder, painter in a metal factory and saleswoman in a department store. In 2010, she married Joseph Price, with whom she had a son named Gordon and now leads a quiet life in Washington.

In 2014 screenwriter Steve Rogers became interested in Tonya’s story and wanted to tell it from her point of view. The director offered him 1,500 dollars (equivalent to 7,700 reais) to know his version – with the promise of more money if the film was produced. In this way, Tonya returned to the spotlight with the premiere of the feature in 2017.

the own Tonya described the film as “magnificent”. And not because he is faithful to his account, but because he takes the time to explain his life before the attack on his rival – showing, for example, how the violence he suffered first from his mother and then from his husband influenced his life and his career, as well as portraying the frustrations in his career.

Although many people still debate whether, after all, Tonya was guilty, innocent or simply a victim of life’s difficulties, the fact is that the film, even with its poetic licenses, is an excellent production. Did you know this case? What is your opinion on Tonya and her story?