Jozef has taken the time to answer all the personal questions you've been asking. This was through a private telephone interview, October 15, 1996.

1. What is your height and weight?

I am 5' 9'' and 132 pounds on a good day.

2. What are your favorite foods? Do you follow a special diet when training?

I eat everything, except shrimp, which I'm allergic to. I love to cook. It is a way to unwind and my son enjoys it too. I don't have to follow a special diet. I have the European metabolism and can eat anything, without counting calories or fat. I enjoy food but don't live to eat.

3. When is your birthday?

I was born on December 4, 1963.

4. Do you have any pets?

I used to have cats but it was just too difficult to keep pets with all the travelling I do. I had a beautiful long-haired Himalayan, named Bam Bam, that my brother-in-law would look after, but it just wasn't fair to the animal. I love animals and Blade would love to have a pet but it just isn't practical right now.

5. Where is your favorite place to live? Favorite place to visit? Do you like touring or would you rather settle down in one place?

I like living wherever Blade is. I can adapt to anyplace. I would love to go on a big tour but Blade is now four and a half and is in pre-school so won't be able to travel with me. Next year, I will be living full-time in Toronto, so that Blade can attend school. I am a member of the Cricket Club in Toronto so I can get ice time to train. Although I like training in Sun Valley, Toronto is the first city I came to from Europe. Tracy (Wainman) and I share custody of Blade and I am a Canadian citizen.

6. How long do you plan to do public performances? Will you be coaching full-time in the near future?

I will skate as long as people want to see me and my knee holds up. Right now, I'm feeling pretty good. The back flips aren't hard on my knee. It's the twisting. Triple jumps are particularly hard and I try to get them right, without constant repetition. I would like to coach full-time with kids. I am good at teaching technique and would love to be able to help others. I would love to give something back to the sport.

7. Is there anything that you especially wish to accomplish?

I am lucky to get this far, to do what I do and have fun. I am so fortunate to be doing something I love. I am happy with my life now and I think the audience reacts positively to that.

8. What languages do you speak? Which language are you most comfortable with?

I speak and write English, Slovak and Czech. I am comfortable with all three of those languages. I am also fluent in German and Russian. I speak enough Polish and Yugoslavian to get by.

9. Do you feel that there were more opportunities to become an Olympic skater when you were growing up in Czechoslovakia, than there are now in the Western and European countries?

One of the advantages of living in a socialist system is that everything was paid for - lessons, skates, fees. That made it a lot easier because figure skating is very expensive here. The educational requirements for an Olympic athlete were very strict. We had to maintain a high grade average or we were not allowed to skate. I completed regular high school plus two years of University. I majored in Foreign Business because I had a talent for languages. University ended when I got married and moved to Canada.

10. Who encouraged you the most to pursue skating - parents? coach? mentor? Was there ever a time when you wanted to quit?

My grandmother first brought me to the ice and supported me all the way. From the time I was 6 to 23, she only missed 5 practices. She practically raised me because my parents were ballet dancers in Vienna and only came home for weekends. She died in 1989. I wanted to give up ice skating on the average of twice a day. I'd get very angry with myself when I didn't get things right. But I always liked skating enough to go back.

11. Does your son skate? Would you want him to become a professional?

Yes, my son likes to skate and I wanted him to learn to skate. However, he is under no pressure. He can be what he wants to be.

12. Any advice for young skaters?

Don't give up and don't set unrealistic goals for yourself. Skate by feeling. Develop confidence and never doubt yourself. If you can walk off the ice and look at yourself and be satisfied with your performance, then you can be proud of your success.

13. What hobbies or interests do you enjoy off the ice?

There are perhaps too many to list, but the ones I enjoy the most are music (obviously), especially R'n'R and Heavy Metal, but not too heavy, it has to have a good melody, not just a lot of noise. My collection of CDs spans about 1200 nowadays. My favourite artist is Bruce Springsteen. I've collected 110 CDs of his, most of them bootlegs, but they are all great.

Speaking of Bruce, I went to see his concert today (Tuesday, October 15, 1996) and it was the best one I've ever been to. The second best was also his in 1988 in Munich, which was the only other one of his I've seen. What really made my day was that after the show I went backstage and met with him. He is the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet and we talked for a while. He wants me to send him a tape of my performances to his music. THIS WAS THE DAY I'LL NEVER FORGET!!!

I also read a lot - somewhere around 15 - 20 books a year, maybe less now, 'cuz when Blade is with me I'd rather spend my time with him. These days I've started to read regular books to him before we go to sleep. He really likes Goosebumps and I have to admit I like them too.

Another thing I like to do is paint. I've painted over 40 paintings. They are mostly dark, but a lot of people like them. I don't sell any, 'cuz they are too personal. There were, and are, too many demons that I had to and still have to get out of me and this does it for me.

14. How many hours a day do you practice?

I practice about 1 - 2 hours a day, 5 - 6 days a week, but keep in mind that I've done all my practicing when I was younger. Then it was anywhere from 4-8 hours a day (we had to do figures back then). Now I'm just trying to maintain and I also have be really careful with my knee.

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