Terry McDermott (speed skater)

Richard Terrance McDermott, nicknamed The Essexville Rocket, was an American Olympic speed skater. He won gold and silver medals, showing amazing skill and speed on the ice.

McDermott surprised everyone when he won the 500 m race at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. He beat a top skater by half a second, finishing just ahead of the other racers. His coach was Leo Freisinger, who had also won a medal in the 1936 Winter Olympics.

Throughout his career, McDermott competed in the 500 m race at the Olympic Winter Games in 1960, 1964, and 1968. Even when conditions were not perfect, he came very close to winning. In 1977, he was honored by being inducted into the National Speedskating Hall of Fame. Later, he took the Olympic Oath at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

Besides skating, McDermott worked as a barber and then as a representative for a company near Detroit. He also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show the same night The Beatles performed for the first time in the United States. He lived in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan with his wife Virginia and had a big family, including five children, 11 grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. McDermott passed away in 2023 at the age of 82.