From the time he first set foot on the ice at age 9, Michael Weiss has been a formidable competitor. Twenty-one years later, his resume is filled with numerous accomplishments, including more than 20 international medals. He made 13 consecutive appearances in the senior men’s competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, standing on the podium nine times and winning three titles. He won bronze at two World Championships.

Perhaps his proudest accomplishment was following in his father’s footsteps as an Olympian. Weiss took to the ice at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, wearing his father’s Olympic jacket (Greg Weiss was a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team in gymnastics), and he proudly returned to Olympic ice in 2002 in Salt Lake City.

“Being an Olympian represents a lifetime of hard work and dedication towards a goal,” says Weiss. “When I was a kid, my dad brought out the jacket and showed it to me. Right after I made my first Olympic team he presented it to me. I thought it would be cool to wear it in Nagano.”

While amassing numerous accomplishments as an athlete, Weiss also strove to make his mark as an artist. His competitive programs included music by Santana, Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Van Halen. In 2005, he designed a costume that looked like he was covered in rock ’n’ roll-inspired tattoos. Time and again he proved his versatility by balancing his edgy programs with elegant classical presentations to Puccini, Beethoven, Verdi and Bizet.

“I like to drive down the highway with the windows down. That’s the rock ’n’ roll side of me. But I also like to sit back and enjoy classical music as well,” he says. “When I was young, my coach Audrey Weisiger used to expose me to all sorts of music. It made me appreciate different styles. There’s a passion from classical music that’s different than the passion from a rock ’n’ roll piece. I always want to show that versatility.”

Weiss has also been an innovator. He was the first U.S. man to land a quadruple toe loop in competition. In 2002, he debuted a new skate blade, the “Freedom Blade,” which enabled him to perform tricky maneuvers that no one else could copy. He also originated a showy move called the “Tornado” that he performs in exhibitions to thunderous applause.

Accolades fill his resume, including the Skating Magazine Readers Choice Award (2000) and the Professional Skaters’ Association Edi Award in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001 for “Best Performance by a Male Skater.” Off the ice, in 2001, International Figure Skating magazine named him one of the “Ten Most Beautiful People in Figure Skating.”

He has also been steadfast in his commitment to recognize his good fortune and give back to the skating community. In 2004, he and wife Lisa Thornton Weiss created the Michael Weiss Foundation. Since its launch, the Foundation has given scholarships to several promising young skaters.

“When I was young, I knew how much my parents struggled to keep my sister and me in the sport. I always said if I reach a point where I’m able to give back and help out somebody in a similar situation, then I will certainly do so. Now I’m in a position where I am able to help out kids who are in the position that I was in, so I do as much as I can,” Weiss notes.

In September 2007, Michael and Lisa Weiss, who make their home in Northern Virginia, celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. They are the parents of Annie-Mae and Christopher, who have always helped their father keep his priorities in order. In 2004, he received the Golden Dad Award, and in 1999 the National Fatherhood Initiative named him Father of the Year.

“I’ve always placed a huge emphasis on family,” Weiss says. “Skating has been a big part of my life and I’ve set goals for myself and gone after them. It’s taught me discipline and determination—great things. But it will always take a back seat if my family needs me. I’m never going to look back and say, ‘I wish I would have,’ when it comes to spending time with my family.”

After a fourth-place finish at the 2006 U.S. Championships, Weiss brought his eligible competitive career to a close. He now embarks on the next phase of his skating life. On his schedule are several shows, including Michael's charity show U.S. & World Figures Skating Champions, Live! benefiting the Michael Weiss Foundation, a non profit organization supporting the next generation of United States champions. Other appearances include Kristi Yamaguchi Friends and Family, Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular, Country on Ice and the Scott Hamilton CARES benefit show in Cleveland, Ohio. The chance to perform a vast array of programs and entertain audiences is a challenge he is eager to meet. Michael will be returning to tour with Smucker’s Stars on Ice for his second year as a full time cast member.