Turning Points; No. 107; Best of Turning Points; Part 2

<v Robert Foxworth>Turning points often test us. <v Robert Foxworth>Confronting adversity can give strength or reveal our limits. <v Robert Foxworth>It's a process that's tough enough to face alone, but even harder when <v Robert Foxworth>your name is known around the world and millions of people will witness <v Robert Foxworth>your rise or fall. [music plays] <v Robert Foxworth>Last year, 18 year old Tiffany Chin, 1985 national figure skating champion, <v Robert Foxworth>was on top of the world, but then her mother, Marjorie, noticed a muscle imbalance <v Robert Foxworth>in Tiffany's legs and took her daughter off the ice for 8 months of special exercises. <v Robert Foxworth>Last December, Tiffany started skating again, struggling to prepare for the 1986 <v Robert Foxworth>nationals in February, a major step for her dream of Olympic gold in 1988. <v Tiffany Chin>After the world championships, I took a couple of months off

<v Tiffany Chin>just to see how I was doing physically. <v Tiffany Chin>I mean, I thought I was OK and my mom was saying, well, <v Tiffany Chin>I don't know, you know, you don't look the same, you don't jump as high. <v Tiffany Chin>And I couldn't tell. I thought, oh, everything's I feel fine. <v Tiffany Chin>And then we started doing some of the exercises that I did when I was small, <v Tiffany Chin>or when I was younger. And I found I couldn't do a lot of the things and then I then we <v Tiffany Chin>started analyzing my skating and we started she started to see <v Tiffany Chin>a lot of mistakes. And it was kind of to get <v Tiffany Chin>me to see it was like pulling teeth 'cause in many ways I did not want to see it at <v Tiffany Chin>all. <v Tiffany Chin>Mom. [laughing] Get off my leg or I'll kick you off. <v Tiffany's Mother>The immediate response from everybody is start with the therapeutic <v Tiffany's Mother>work. I went to um some therapist and have them train <v Tiffany's Mother>me how to work with her.

<v Tiffany's Mother>I helped her doing physical work if she worked 4 hours, that <v Tiffany's Mother>also means I worked 4 hours. <v Therapist>No, no. Because that's the muscle. These 2 are the ones I'm trying to get at when she comes down and pulls in, Those <v Therapist>are the ones that I'm going after. <v Tiffany's Mother>Yeah, but I'm trying to get after this. <v Therapist>Yeah. <v Tiffany's Mother>I need her, I need her on ice like this, this. <v Tiffany Chin>I moved to Denver basically to take from Don Laws. <v Tiffany Chin>I needed a change in atmosphere and I think <v Tiffany Chin>I needed a change in training philosophies and just <v Tiffany Chin>a different all around scene. <v Don Laws>Put your arms up a little bit. Come on, Tiffany. <v Don Laws>Working with Tiffany on the ice is a new thing for me.

<v Don Laws>I've trained mostly male athletes. <v Don Laws>But Tiffany is the first top lady athlete. <v Don Laws>The situation I'm having now is first getting to know her. <v Don Laws>She's easy to train, easy to work with, but uh she has <v Don Laws>a preponderance of technicalities, what we call <v Don Laws>paralysis through analysis. <v Don Laws>She's so analytical at times that she doesn't really get into motion enough. <v Don Laws>[music plays]. <v Tiffany Chin>?inaudible? What? <v Don Laws>You can't put your finger on it, totally? <v Tiffany Chin>No. The thing is I can, but why don't I ?inaudible? that I can't answer you. <v Don Laws>I know, I can't either. <v Don Laws>

<v Tiffany Chin>My feelings on going into nationals are fluctuating quite a bit. <v Tiffany Chin>You know, there are certain things are improving constantly. <v Tiffany Chin>But I don't know, you know, is it going to be in time? <v Tiffany Chin>Am I going to be consistent enough? <v Tiffany Chin>I still have a lot to prove. <v Don Laws>I wasn't on hand when the imbalance of muscles <v Don Laws>was discovered. <v Don Laws>I feel that from what I've been told of the report I've seen is that <v Don Laws>she should not have been off the ice, totally. <v Don Laws>Then she would not have been in this position. <v Tiffany's Mother>So I met a neighbor come across to me, you know, across street. <v Tiffany's Mother>She was saying that uh, you know, people are gonna try to get you because

<v Tiffany's Mother>they're going to try to blame on you that she didn't skate this year. <v Tiffany's Mother>I don't see how anybody can come over, ask me, <v Tiffany's Mother>accuse me for doing the wrong thing when I may ?stop? <v Tiffany's Mother>To Tiffany, not only dying a slow death in <v Tiffany's Mother>skating, but not having arthritis at 39, <v Tiffany's Mother>29. What right do they have to stop me from doing what I think it is <v Tiffany's Mother>to ultimate, ultimate importance for my daughter as a person? <v Tiffany's Mother>This way. Ooh no no. ?inaudible? You just didn't think. I just finishing saying this way. <v Tiffany's Mother>Well, no, because see.

<v Tiffany Chin>Well, how do you want it? <v Tiffany's Mother>How do you want? How do I want? <v Tiffany's Mother>Same way I wanted yesterday before you could. <v Tiffany's Mother>understood. Yeah. <v Tiffany's Mother>This is where we're after and right? <v Tiffany's Mother>Yeah. Good. <v Tiffany's Mother>?inaudible?. <v Tiffany Chin>Mom, I have 3 minutes. <v Tiffany's Mother>3 minutes, 3 minutes. <v Tiffany's Mother>Well, what is it? <v Tiffany's Mother>Go to ?catch?. <v Tiffany Chin>Yeah. I was only an half an hour late for the first one. <v Tiffany's Mother>I detest assumption of ?think? <v Tiffany's Mother>you are only half an hour late, but you also didn't get up early <v Tiffany's Mother>at 7 o'clock and do the exercise. The exercise only last 30 minutes today. <v Tiffany's Mother>Nobody is going to con me out of this. [music plays] <v Tiffany's Mother>The only difficulty I have is sometimes Tiffany <v Tiffany's Mother>and I work very fine in our way of giving and take, <v Tiffany's Mother>and that may not be understood by a bystander.

<v Tiffany's Mother>And they come in and try to stand in between. <v Tiffany's Mother>But we do have to give a mother daughter relation <v Tiffany's Mother>a lot more respect. <v Tiffany Chin>Has my mom been talking to you about competition and all that stuff? <v Tiffany Chin>I could I could well imagine that she'd <v Tiffany Chin>be pretty nervous at this point. <v Tiffany Chin>Because my decision, I always want to go to the competition and <v Tiffany Chin>it would be her decision to say no ?inaudible?. <v Tiffany Chin>[music plays] <v Don Laws>Tiffany has the instinct and desire to be a champion, but one thing she has

<v Don Laws>to do is face it herself and alone, with the assistance <v Don Laws>and support of everyone around her. <v Don Laws>Not the ?insistence?. <v Don Laws>Yes. You've finally gotten this end part before the ?stop? <v Don Laws>Resolved. You had too much in there before. <v Don Laws>You doing the hold and the turn. That was - yes it was. <v Don Laws>It was much better. Was much better, Tiffany. Don't <v Don Laws>do that to yourself. I want to see the ending part now. <v Don Laws>[music plays] <v Tiffany Chin>It's not as if I can go in halfway, I have to be really in <v Tiffany Chin>my best form because of what everyone expects. <v Tiffany Chin>The thing is, I'm hoping that my bad days just get a little better and a little better <v Tiffany Chin>and a little better. <v Don Laws>These days, I would say are a turning point for her in more ways than just

<v Don Laws>whether she qualifies or defends her title successfully or wins a medal. <v Don Laws>This is not only the turning point, but the breaking away point so that she can become <v Don Laws>a very independent individual athlete. <v Tiffany Chin>[music plays] I went to nationals because I had told my mom <v Tiffany Chin>that, you know, this is something I really want to do and a lot of people are <v Tiffany Chin>spreading rumors and having lots of doubt in whether I'm going

<v Tiffany Chin>to go, if I would chicken out and try and take the easy way out. <v Tiffany Chin>You know, what have you. And I really felt I had something to prove. <v Tiffany Chin>[music plays] <v Don Laws>Her skating here is noticeably better than it was in Denver. <v Don Laws>Her friends are here. Her competitors are here. <v Don Laws>She's familiar with the atmosphere. <v Don Laws>It has brought out a natural flow of her energies and her enthusiasm. <v Don Laws>And also she's very assertive to the point of almost being aggressive. <v Tiffany's Mother>She's a fighter. She decides she come here to, she rise up <v Tiffany's Mother>to the occasion which I have seen many times before. <v Tiffany Chin>I think there was some doubt in some people's minds, you know, whether or not I could do <v Tiffany Chin>all the things I used to do technically.

<v Tiffany Chin>And then tonight I just basically proved that I could. <v Tiffany Chin>But, you know, I'm still battling against time. <v Tiffany Chin>And we'll see what happens during the competition. [music plays] <v Tiffany Chin>National competition consists of 3 major parts. <v Tiffany Chin>Compulsory ?Figures? accounts for 30 percent, and then there's a short program <v Tiffany Chin>which accounts for 20 percent and then the long program counts 50 percent so that's <v Tiffany Chin>really important. <v Don Laws>Her strongest competition comes from uh Debi Thomas, who was 5th in the Worlds. <v Don Laws>Her next competition is Caryn Kadavy, who is a rapidly rising, <v Don Laws>very talented young lady. <v Announcer>?inaudible?

<v Tiffany Chin>After figures, it was di-disappointing. <v Tiffany Chin>It just kind of opened my eyes that there are other dreams and there are other goals from <v Tiffany Chin>other people that can interfere with yours. <v Tiffany Chin>[music plays] <v Announcer>United States Figure Skating Championships is the short program portion of the <v Announcer>championship ladies' competition. <v Tiffany Chin>A lot of times I would always be asked this question, do you have enough determination, <v Tiffany Chin>do have the hunger to be a winner? <v Tiffany Chin>And I would always say, no, that's not me. <v Tiffany Chin>But I don't think anyone who's been on the top can say, no, I do not want it <v Tiffany Chin>all for myself. You know, when you get out on that ice and you're all alone, you're gonna <v Tiffany Chin>be pretty selfish and you're going to want an awful lot to pull you through those 4 <v Tiffany Chin>minutes.

<v Don Laws>The hardest thing for Tiffany and myself this week was training her <v Don Laws>to be a gold medalist. <v Don Laws>Knowing that she could be a silver medalist, a bronze medalist or less. <v Announcer>The next skater representing the San Diego Figure Skating ?inaudible?. <v Announcer>Please welcome Tiffany Chin. [applause] [music plays] [applause] <v Tiffany Chin>The marks for Tiffany Chin are

<v Tiffany Chin>5.6, 5.8, 5.7, 5.7, 5.7, 5.7, 5.7, 5.7, 5.7. After the marks came up and, you know, I was <v Tiffany Chin>third, I felt really bad. Again, it comes back to my past experience where <v Tiffany Chin>if ever I did well I, if nothing else I stayed, I'd never go down. <v Tiffany Chin>And I went down from second to third. <v Tiffany Chin>And, you know, it's just like shock. <v Tiffany Chin>[music plays] <v Don Laws>When she knew she was third and short, she was <v Don Laws>realizing that the title was slipping. <v Tiffany Chin>It's going to harden me, I think, you know, because I've never in the past had <v Tiffany Chin>this type of a situation happened to me. <v Tiffany Chin>And I've always been kind of dependent on people always <v Tiffany Chin>bringing me up. And, you know, this was definitely a different situation.

<v Don Laws>It's definitely between the top 3 girls. <v Don Laws>Any one of them could win it now. They're all within 1 point distance of each other. <v Don Laws>Whoever wins the long program gets 1 point so that would be the winner. [applause] <v Announcer>All right, here we go. Tiffany Chin. Born in Oakland, California, <v Announcer>skating out of the San Diego Figure Skating Club now. <v Announcer>Defending her national championship. [music plays] <v Commentator>This is what she does best is her beautiful carriage on the ice. <v Commentator>Look at this beautiful camel spin the forward, outside circles into this layback. <v Commentator>Gorgeous. <v Commentator>So tight on that, isn't that marvelous? <v Commentator>Really good. <v Commentator>She is such a precise skater, every position is really superb and her jumping

<v Commentator>ability is marvelous. <v Commentator>Tiffany is skating with a lot of maturity. <v Commentator>This is her fourth season in the national competition. <v Commentator>She was fifth in <v Commentator>'82, third in '83, second in '84, and of course won last year. [applause] Wow. <v Commentator>Very nice combination. Double axel, double toe. <v Commentator>The appluase growing and that's it. <v Tiffany Chin>When you were the champion and then you had to go down, it's,

<v Tiffany Chin>you know, it feels like a very alien feeling. <v Tiffany Chin>I don't fully accept the fact that I'm third, you know, it's happened <v Tiffany Chin>too quickly. And after a while, you know, it'll sink in. <v Tiffany Chin>But I hope a part of me and I'm pretty sure I'll never really accept it. <v Tiffany Chin>Determination is always been something of an endurance problem <v Tiffany Chin>for me. I mean, I've always had these short span of concentrated <v Tiffany Chin>determination, but I think this time it might last a whole lot <v Tiffany Chin>longer because I mean, I really felt like <v Tiffany Chin>like I've grown in that I don't have to stay in that small, compact <v Tiffany Chin>little person. I've it's like I I <v Tiffany Chin>see that there is a bigger world than my world and there are more

<v Tiffany Chin>colors than just the colors in my world. <v Tiffany Chin>And there are other things to work for. <v Tiffany Chin>And this is just a stepping stone. <v Tiffany Chin>So, you know, let's make it the best I possibly can. <v Robert Foxworth>After facing the challenge of a comeback at the national championships, Tiffany Chin went <v Robert Foxworth>on to the 1986 world competition, finishing a strong third. <v Robert Foxworth>Her best performance to date. <v Tiffany Chin>These are the days that we skated, the 15th and the 16th. <v Robert Foxworth>Since then, Tiffany has continued to rebuild her career in the Goodwill Games in Moscow. <v Robert Foxworth>Her dream of Olympic gold is still alive, but those 8 months off the ice remain a <v Robert Foxworth>turning point with continuing influence on her life. <v Tiffany Chin>Well, I think nationals really kinda gave me a little kick in the <v Tiffany Chin>butt, type of, you know, it really just woke me up to <v Tiffany Chin>a lot of things I needed to know. I mean it's a painful way of doing it, but it really

<v Tiffany Chin>did the trick. <v Tiffany Chin>I hope that with a lot of training and with a lot of hard work, that next <v Tiffany Chin>year at the next coming nationals, I'll regain that title. <v Tiffany Chin>[music plays] <v Robert Foxworth>New beginnings will mark our lives as long as we live. <v Robert Foxworth>But often the earliest turning points are the ones remembered best. <v Robert Foxworth>Those are times when life is new and filled with first experiences that become <v Robert Foxworth>the foundation for all the years to come. <v Robert Foxworth>[music plays] <v Robert Foxworth>A child's first puppy can be the beginning of a new friendship. <v Robert Foxworth>But more important, it's acceptance of a new responsibility. <v Robert Foxworth>6 year old Lisa Brinegar has dreamed of having a puppy since she was 4. <v Robert Foxworth>Her parents decided to wait until they thought she was ready. <v Robert Foxworth>Now the time has come. <v Robert Foxworth>On a recent Saturday, Lisa's dream came true when she and her family paid a visit <v Robert Foxworth>to pet orphans in Van Nuys. [music plays]

<v Lisa Brinegar>And that's a tail. A tail with a spot on it. 2 spots, 3 spots. I've been drawing pictures of the puppy that I'm gonna get on Saturday. I've wanted it since I was 4 and I'm really <v Lisa Brinegar>excited because I'm getting one. And I'll ?hold? it like a lot and play with it. <v Lisa's Mother>That looks like an awfully big doggy. Do you want your doggy to be that big? <v Lisa Brinegar>No, I want to be this big. <v Lisa's Mother>As a puppy? You want it to stay that little? <v Lisa Brinegar>No. <v Lisa's Mother>How big you want it to grow to?

<v Lisa Brinegar>Big. <v Lisa's Mother>Oh. <v Lisa's Mother>Come on Lisa, ?Jeffrey?. Breakfast. <v Lisa's Mother>Well, Lisa's been wanting a puppy since she was 4. <v Lisa's Mother>So today's a real big day for her. <v Lisa's Father>We wanted to get a puppy about 2 years ago when we first moved into the house. <v Lisa's Father>At that point, we figured Lisa was a little young to really take on a lot of that <v Lisa's Father>responsibility and we decided to wait for a few years. <v Lisa's Father>And with her little baby brother, you know, she uh she learned some of that <v Lisa's Father>responsibility. So at this point, it's time we get a puppy. <v Lisa's Father>[music plays] <v Lisa's Mother>We're taking Lisa to Pet Orphans because it's a very special place.

<v Lisa's Mother>People bring their dogs that they can't take care of anymore for odd reasons, <v Lisa's Mother>you know, either they're well, you know, they're moving or or they're just, you know, for <v Lisa's Mother>family reasons, personal reasons, they just can't keep the dog anymore. <v Lisa's Mother>[dogs barking] <v Lisa's Mother>Age, you want a puppy. <v Lisa's Mother>Breed. <v Lisa Brinegar>What's that breed? What's breed mean? <v Lisa's Mother>Oh, the type of doggy. Personality, calm. <v Lisa's Mother>What is your primary reason for wanting an animal? <v Lisa's Mother>Not a guard dog. ?inaudible? <v Lisa Brinegar>Why are you giving your puppy away? <v Woman>Well, where I live right now, I can't keep her. <v Woman>So, she needs to find a good home. <v Woman>You have a backyard? <v Lisa Brinegar>Yeah. I have a big backyard. <v Woman>Yeah? She would like that. <v Lisa's Mother>Well, how big will this one get? <v Woman>This one is 10 months. <v Lisa's Mother>Does she have a name? <v Lisa's Father>But she is good at sleeping indoors? <v Woman>Yeah. I mean, I think she's really a people dog.

<v Lisa Brinegar>Jeffrey, hold that tight. <v Lisa's Father>Look at his feet, look at that. Isn't that pretty? <v Lisa's Father>Looks he's got shoes on. [laughing]. <v Lisa's Mother>This one's got every color we need. Brown and black. <v Lisa's Father>What do you think, huh? Hm? Don't know? <v Lisa's Mother>You want to look at the beagle ones? <v Lisa's Mother>Aw look at him, Lisa. <v Lisa Brinegar>That one. <v Lisa's Mother>I think she had such a hard time choosing until they brought out the Beagle. <v Lisa's Mother>And then I think right then and there, she knew that would be the one. <v Lisa's Father>Can you take care of this one, Lisa? <v Lisa's Mother>Do you think you could love this one? <v Lisa Brinegar>Yeah. [laughing]. <v Lisa's Mother>You want this one? You think so? <v Lisa's Mother>Thank you. <v Lisa's Mother>Thank you. <v Lisa's Mother>You think so? <v Lisa's Mother>Let me see you pet it, see if it feels good. Yeah. He likes you. [Song: The Puppy Song by Harry Nilsson] <v Lisa's Mother>

<v Lisa's Mother>Since we got the puppy away from the dog pound, there's a big difference, not just <v Lisa's Mother>holding it on a leash, she could feel the oneness, I should say between her and the <v Lisa's Mother>puppy. That was my main reason for getting the puppy too was to have her <v Lisa's Mother>learn how to show more love. <v Lisa's Mother>So I think it's working already. [laughing] <v Lisa's Mother>Now Lisa, this is something that you're going to have to learn to do ?inaudible?, OK? <v Lisa's Mother>I just think it's important for her to learn the responsibility of feeding it and making <v Lisa's Mother>sure that she knows, you know, every day that these certain things, you know, have to be <v Lisa's Mother>done. And uh I just want her to be fond of something that much to where <v Lisa's Mother>she feels she has got to feed it and and care for it. [music plays] <v Lisa Brinegar>Mommy, how do I put down this, he's down there. [laughing] Get him! <v Lisa Brinegar>I want to name my puppy Skunky because he has a stripe on him. [music plays]

<v Lisa Brinegar>I liked him because I can chase him and 'cause he ran away <v Lisa Brinegar>and I <v Lisa Brinegar>like to catch him. <v Lisa Brinegar>[screaming]. <v Lisa's Father>It's an awfully big step in I think any kid's life to to get their first puppy. <v Lisa's Father>A lot of the things, a lot of the toys, the dolls, and things have a tendency of going in <v Lisa's Father>the toy box after a few weeks and she doesn't play with them anymore. <v Lisa's Father>So this is a commitment over a longer period of time. <v Lisa's Father>That's what we're really looking to see out of it. <v Lisa Brinegar>Daddy, can I take Skunky to school with me tomorrow? <v Robert Foxworth>Puppies or goldfish, learning to love is the real essence of Lisa's turning point.

<v Robert Foxworth>For her, it's a beginning. For us, her story marks the end. <v Robert Foxworth>We hope we brought back some memories, captured a little of the natural drama inherent <v Robert Foxworth>in everyday experience, and perhaps suggested a few insights about living in <v Robert Foxworth>1980s America. Whatever, life's turning points <v Robert Foxworth>help make us what we are. <v Robert Foxworth>I'm Robert Foxworth. [music plays]