HR0205LRB103 31898 MST 60577 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to recognize the contributions that
4Darius Sanders has made to the sport of artistic skating; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Darius Sanders developed a passion for roller
6skating while watching his mother perform at a local roller
7rink at the age of five; observing his mother and her friends
8skate motivated him to put on his first pair of skates; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Darius Sanders's talent as a roller skater was
10noticed by Julie Jessup, who became his coach and introduced
11him to Samantha Krusza in 2013; soon thereafter, the duo would
12form an inseparable skating partnership; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Darius Sanders and Samantha Krusza have competed
14in numerous roller skating competitions and skate shows; the
15duo finished first in the 2015 Figure National Championship in
16the juvenile division; together, they have competed in the
17U.S. National Figure Roller Skating Competition, where they
18placed first, and the World Figure Artistic Roller Skating
19Championship, where they placed fourth; his biggest moment was
20when he and Samantha made it to the 2018 Artistic Skating World
21Championships; and
 

 

 

HR0205- 2 -LRB103 31898 MST 60577 r

1    WHEREAS, Darius Sanders has won more than 121 medals; he
2is currently ranked as one of the top African-American roller
3skaters in the world; he has traveled and competed in places
4such as Barcelona, Spain and Paris, France; the U.S. National
5Figure Roller Skating Committee has ranked him and Samantha
6Krusza as first in the nation as couple skaters; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Darius Sanders is a member of U.S. Roller Sports
8and a team member of the U.S. Olympic Team as of 2020; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Darius Sanders's goal is for the sport to become
10an official event at the 2024 Olympics; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Darius Sanders is the son of Phillip and
12Cassandra Sanders who reside in the Washington Heights
13neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago; he attended Butler
14College Prep; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Darius Sanders wants to inspire other Chicago
16youth to try different sports and hobbies to help keep them off
17the streets and to encourage more Black kids to try the sport
18of artistic skating; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
20HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21we wish to recognize the contributions that Darius Sanders has

 

 

HR0205- 3 -LRB103 31898 MST 60577 r

1made to the sport of artistic skating; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to Darius Sanders as a symbol of our respect and
4esteem.