View source for Barbara Underhill

{{short description|Canadian pair skater and hockey skating coach}}
{{For|the astrophysicist|Anne Barbara Underhill}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox figure skater
| name                     = Barbara Underhill
| image                    = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1983-0329-027, Barbara Underhill, Paul Martini.jpg
| caption                  = Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini, March 1983
| full_name                = Barbara Ann Underhill
| altname                  = 
| country                  = {{CAN}}
| formercountry            = 
| birth_date               = {{Birth date and age|1963|6|24}}
| birth_place              = [[Pembroke, Ontario]]
| hometown                 = 
| residence                = 
| death_date               = <!-- {{death date and age|yyyy|mm|dd|yyyy|mm|dd}} (death date followed by birth date) -->
| death_place              = 
| height                   = 5 ft 
| partner                  = [[Paul Martini]]
| formerpartner            = 
| coach                    = 
| formercoach              = 
| choreographer            = 
| formerchoreographer      = 
| skating club             = [[Granite Club]] <br /> Oshawa FSC
| retired                  = April 1998
| medals                   = <!-- see [[Template:MedalRelatedTemplates]] -->
{{MedalSport | Pairs' [[figure skating]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Figure Skating Championships|World Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1984 World Figure Skating Championships|1984 Ottawa]] | Pairs }}
{{MedalBronze | [[1983 World Figure Skating Championships|1983 Helsinki]] | Pairs }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Junior Figure Skating Championships|World Junior Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1978 World Junior Figure Skating Championships|1978 Megève]] | Pairs }}
}}

'''Barbara Ann Underhill''' (born June 24, 1963) is a hockey skating coach and [[Canadians|Canadian]] former [[Pair skating|pair skater]]. With partner [[Paul Martini]], she is the 1984 [[1984 World Figure Skating Championships|World champion]], the 1979–1983 [[Canadian Figure Skating Championships|Canadian national champion]], and the 1978 [[World Junior Figure Skating Championships|World Junior champion]]. They represented [[Canada at the 1980 Winter Olympics]], where they placed 9th, and [[Canada at the 1984 Winter Olympics|at the 1984 Winter Olympics]], where they placed 7th. In 2009, she was named to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Since retiring from competition, Underhill has worked as a skating coach for several National Hockey League teams.<ref name=psmag/>

== Early life ==
Underhill was born in Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. She began skating at the age of 5.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rowland |first=Hillary |date=1985-08-27 |title=Barbara Underhill 'holidaying' in Oshawa |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-barbara-underhill-holi/166844412/ |access-date=2025-02-27 |work=The Toronto Star |pages=103}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== Partnership with Martini ===
Underhill and Martini began skating together in the summer of 1977.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Heller |first=Liane |date=1978-02-06 |title=Preston's super skaters brace for the worlds |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/waterloo-region-record-prestons-super-s/166845398/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=Waterloo Region Record |pages=17}}</ref> They won gold in junior pairs at the 1978 Canadian figure skating championships.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1978-02-03 |title=Ontario combination takes junior pairs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-colonist-ontario-combination-takes/166844815/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=Times Colonist |pages=22}}</ref> They also won the [[1978 World Junior Figure Skating Championships|World Junior Championships]] that same year in [[Megève]], France.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1978-03-25 |title=Canada wins 2nd world skating gold |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-canada-wins-2nd-world-s/166845241/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=The Toronto Star |pages=18}}</ref> In 1979, they won their first senior national title and made their [[1979 World Figure Skating Championships|World Championship]] debut, finishing 11th. They placed 9th at the [[Figure skating at the 1980 Winter Olympics|1980 Winter Olympics]] in [[Lake Placid, New York]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1980-02-18 |title=Olympic weekend: Big day for big names |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/red-deer-advocate-olympic-weekend-big-d/166845669/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=Red Deer Advocate |pages=7}}</ref>

Underhill/Martini finished fourth at the [[1982 World Figure Skating Championships|1982 World Championships]] in [[Copenhagen]], having placed fifth in the short program and fourth in the free skate. The pair reached the podium at the [[1983 World Figure Skating Championships|1983 World Championships]] in [[Helsinki]]. After placing third in both segments, they were awarded the bronze medal behind [[Elena Valova]] / [[Oleg Vasiliev (figure skater)|Oleg Vasiliev]] of the Soviet Union and [[Sabine Baeß]] / [[Tassilo Thierbach]] of East Germany.

In February 1984, Underhill/Martini finished 7th at the [[Figure skating at the 1984 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]] in [[Sarajevo]]. In March, they competed at the [[1984 World Figure Skating Championships|1984 World Championships]] in [[Ottawa]]. Ranked second to Olympic gold medalists Valova/Vasiliev in the short program and first in the free skate, Underhill/Martini won Canada's first world figure skating title since [[Karen Magnussen]] in 1973.<ref name=UPI840323/>

=== Later career ===
Underhill worked for 16 years as a skating TV commentator until 2006.<ref name=IN051911/> She then began working with hockey players to develop their speed and power.<ref name=IN051911/><ref name=Star130715/> She initially worked with the [[Guelph Storm]], of which her husband is a part owner.<ref name=psmag>{{cite news|last=Riches|first=Sam|title=The Woman Who's Teaching the NHL How to Skate|url=https://psmag.com/social-justice/woman-whos-teaching-nhl-skate-76542|access-date=March 18, 2014|newspaper=Pacific Standard|date=March 14, 2014}}</ref> She then began working with NHL teams—first the [[Anaheim Ducks]], followed by the [[New York Rangers]] and the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]].<ref name=psmag/><ref name=IN051911/> Underhill was named in the 2011 edition of [[The Hockey News]]'s list of the 100 most influential people in ice hockey due to her power skating coaching.<ref name=THN110117/> Underhill joined the [[National Hockey League]]'s [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] as the team's Skating Consultant on April 20, 2012.<ref name=SN120420/>
Underhill also appeared on [[CBC Television|CBC TV]]'s ''[[Battle of the Blades]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-11-13 |title=Battle of the Blades eyes franchise possibilities |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/waterloo-region-record-battle-of-the-bla/166845811/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=Waterloo Region Record |pages=31}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Underhill married Rick Gaetz, with whom she has two sons, Matthew and Scott, all of whom are involved in hockey.<ref name=IN051911/> On September 15, 1992, she had twin girls, Sam and Stephanie, but lost Stephanie in a drowning accident on Saturday, May 29, 1993, just a few hours before Game 7 between [[1992–93 Los Angeles Kings season|Los Angeles Kings]] and [[1992–93 Toronto Maple Leafs season|Toronto Maple Leafs]] at [[Maple Leaf Gardens]].<ref name=OC051028/><ref name=moreca/> In 1998, she started the Stephanie Gaetz Keepsafe Foundation to reduce injuries in childhood, with a focus on water safety.<ref name=OC051028/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Henderson |first=Erin |date=2005-06-17 |title=Swim program aims to save kids' lives |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard-swim-program-aims-to-save-k/166845995/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=The Standard |pages=2}}</ref>

==Competitive highlights==
(with Martini)

{|  class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=8 align=center | International
|-
! Event
! 77–78
! 78–79
! 79–80
! 80–81
! 81–82
! 82–83
! 83–84
|-
| align=left | [[Figure skating at the Olympic Games|Winter Olympics]] || || || 9th || || || || 7th
|-
| align=left | [[World Figure Skating Championships|World Champ.]] || || 11th || 11th || 7th || 4th || bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd || bgcolor=gold | 1st
|-
| align=left | [[Skate America]] || || || || || bgcolor=gold | 1st || ||
|-
| align=left | [[NHK Trophy]] || || || || bgcolor=gold | 1st || || bgcolor=gold | 1st ||
|-
| align=left | [[Prize of Moscow News]] || || || 5th || || || ||
|-
| align=left | [[Nebelhorn Trophy]] || || bgcolor=gold | 1st || || || || ||
|-
| align=left | [[Ennia Challenge Cup]] || || 5th || || || bgcolor=gold | 1st || ||
|-
| align=left | [[Grand Prix International St. Gervais|St. Gervais]] || || bgcolor=gold | 1st || || || || ||
|-
! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=8 align=center | International: Junior
|-
| align=left | [[World Junior Figure Skating Championships|World Junior Champ.]] || bgcolor=gold | 1st || || || || || ||
|-
! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=8 align=center | National
|-
| align=left | [[Canadian Figure Skating Championships|Canadian Champ.]] || bgcolor=gold | 1st J. || bgcolor=gold | 1st || bgcolor=gold | 1st || bgcolor=gold | 1st || bgcolor=gold | 1st || bgcolor=gold | 1st ||
|-
| colspan=8 align=center | <small> J. = Junior level </small>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name=UPI840323>{{cite news |url= http://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/03/23/For-Canadas-Barbara-Underhill-and-Paul-Martini-two-weeks/5644448866000/ |title= For Canada's Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini, two weeks... |first= Wesley |last= Goldstein |work= UPI |date= March 23, 1984 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160315000636/http://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/03/23/For-Canadas-Barbara-Underhill-and-Paul-Martini-two-weeks/5644448866000/ |archive-date= March 15, 2016 |url-status= live }}</ref>

<ref name=IN051911>{{cite news |url= http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110519&content_id=19269826&vkey=ice_news |title= Underhill giving hockey players the edge |first= Lois |last= Elfman |date= May 19, 2011 |publisher= IceNetwork |access-date= June 18, 2011 }}</ref>

<ref name=OC051028>{{cite news|url=http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=5c27a391-35f7-4494-88e9-7f8e064b99f8 |title=Her fairy tale life was over when her child fell into a pool |first=Kelly |last=Egan |work=Ottawa Citizen |publisher=Canada.com |date=October 28, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320084117/http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=5c27a391-35f7-4494-88e9-7f8e064b99f8 |archive-date=March 20, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name=moreca>{{cite news|url=http://www.more.ca/attitude/profiles/barbara-underhill-skating-superstar/a/30120 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402022719/http://www.more.ca/attitude/profiles/barbara-underhill-skating-superstar/a/30120 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-04-02 |title=Barbara Underhill: Skating superstar |first=Kathryn |last=Hudson |work=More.ca |date=April 2010 }}</ref>

<ref name=THN110117>The Hockey News, Volume 64, Number 14, January 17, 2011, p.23, Publisher: Caroline Andrews, Transcontinental Media</ref>

<ref name=SN120420>{{cite news |url= http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/04/20/maple_leafs_to_hire_barb_underhill_skating_coach/ |title= Leafs hire ex-figure skater as skating coach |work= [[Sportsnet]] |date= April 20, 2012 }}</ref>

<ref name=Star130715>{{cite news |url= https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2013/07/15/maple_leafs_making_strides_with_barbara_underhill_feschuk.html |title= Maple Leafs making strides with Barbara Underhill |first= Dave |last= Feschuk |date= July 15, 2013 |work= Toronto Star }}</ref>

}}
* {{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/un/barbara-underhill-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418080234/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/un/barbara-underhill-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-18 |title=Barbara Underhill}}
* {{cite web|url=http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-%20Volume1-1896-1973.pdf |title=Skate Canada Results Book – Volume 1 – 1896 – 1973 |publisher=[[Skate Canada (governing body)|Skate Canada]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122231727/http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-%20Volume1-1896-1973.pdf |archive-date=November 22, 2010 }}
* {{cite web|url=http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-Volume2-1974-current.pdf |title=Skate Canada Results Book – Volume 2 – 1974 – current |publisher=[[Skate Canada (governing body)|Skate Canada]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408215222/http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-Volume2-1974-current.pdf |archive-date=April 8, 2008 }}
* {{cite web|url=http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/championships_results.pdf |title=Canadian National Championships Medallists |publisher=[[Skate Canada (governing body)|Skate Canada]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090920093937/http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/championships_results.pdf |archive-date=September 20, 2009 }}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-148238-165454-56217-0-file,00.pdf |title=World Figure Skating Championships Results: Pairs Medalists |publisher=[[International Skating Union]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205021633/http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0%2C11040%2C4844-148238-165454-56217-0-file%2C00.pdf |archive-date=December 5, 2013 }}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-188676-205898-133279-0-file,00.pdf |title= World Junior Figure Skating Championships Results: Pairs Medalists |publisher= [[International Skating Union]] |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121030134324/http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-188676-205898-133279-0-file,00.pdf |archive-date= 2012-10-30 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Barbara Underhill}}
* [http://www.keepsafefoundation.ca Stephanie Gaetz Keepsafe Foundation] – Organization in memory of her late daughter
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050205020319/http://www.pairsonice.net/profileview.php?pid=71 |title=Pairs on Ice: Barbara Underhill & Paul Martini |date=February 5, 2005 }}
* {{Canada's Sports Hall of Fame|new_id=barbara_underhill|id=403}}
* {{Team Canada}}
* {{Olympics.com}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{NavigationWorldChampionsFigureSkatingPairs}}
{{NavigationSkateAmericaChampionsFigureSkatingPairs}}
{{NavigationNHKTrophyChampionsFigureSkatingPairs}}
{{NavigationWorldJuniorChampionsFigureSkatingPairs}}
{{NavigationCanadianChampionsFigureSkatingPairs}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Underhill, Barbara}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Canadian female pair skaters]]
[[Category:Battle of the Blades participants]]
[[Category:Figure skaters at the 1980 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Figure skaters at the 1984 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic figure skaters for Canada]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Oshawa]]
[[Category:Skating people from Ontario]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Ontario]]
[[Category:World Figure Skating Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Junior Figure Skating Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Women in the National Hockey League]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen]]