Sonja Henie was born in Oslo, Norway back in 1912 to Wilhelm and Selma. From a young age, she showed talent as a tennis player, swimmer and equestrienne. She was educated by tutors and her father hired the best experts in the world to further his daughter into a sporting celebrity.
She won her first major competition at the tender age of ten in the senior Norwegian championships. She competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics when she was 11. When she gave up her amateur status she moved to California, signing with Darryl Zanuck. She signed a multiple year contract making her the highest paid actress of her time. She retired in 1943 forming her own business with Arthur Wirtz.
In the mid-1960’s she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, she died in 1969, she was 57.
What you may not know about Sonja is that she was a three-time Olympic Champion (1928, 1932, 1936). She was a ten-time women’s Singles World Champion and six-time European Champion. Her unprecedented three Olympic gold medals haven’t been matched by any ladies’ single skater since. She still holds the record of most consecutive titles for women’s skating.
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