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National Recovery Month Event in Akron Features Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater

Staff Report | September 17, 2025
A woman wearing a black dress and holding a microphone in one hand and a yellow piece of fabric in the other hand speaks to an audience from a stage.

Figure skating gold medalist Oksana Baiul spoke in Akron about her recovery as part of a municipal court event for National Recovery Month.

Oksana Baiul was a figure skating champion who won an Olympic gold medal in 1994. She also struggled with alcohol issues. As part of National Recovery Month, she visited Akron to share her past struggles and journey to lifelong recovery.

The event was organized by Judge Jon Oldham and the Akron Municipal Court. Baiul, a Ukrainian native, shared her story of resilience and triumph with about 150 attendees.

Judge Oldham opened the event with a discussion of the history and importance of National Recovery Month, which helps to increase the public awareness of mental health and addiction recovery. He also highlighted the two specialized dockets he leads for the Akron Municipal Court: Akron Recovery Court and Akron OVI Court.

Resources for Courts

All Rise, formerly the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, offers many recovery-related resources for courts. Among them:

Additional Resources: The Supreme Court offers a comprehensive online collection of bench cards, guides, and toolkits to support judges, lawyers, and the public in navigating Ohio’s legal system. Access these resources now at https://bit.ly/4mZaQoH. Download a flyer or postcard with a QR code for convenient access.

Recovery Court is for offenders with substance use disorders to help them overcome addiction and achieve long term recovery. The OVI Court focuses on supervising, rather than jailing, offenders with multiple offenses for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OVI) to lower costs to taxpayers by reducing the jail population. The Akron specialized dockets are certified by the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Baiul participated in a question-and-answer session with the audience, moderated by a local news co-anchor. The former skater, who also earned the world champion title in ladies’ singles figure skating in 1993, signed autographs after the discussion.