Amber Glenn’s Parents Revealed the ‘Worst Night’ of Their Lives Involved the Figure Skater’s Devastating News—’So Distraught’
Amber Glenn‘s parents are with her every step of the way. The 26-year-old Olympic figure skater has the most supportive parents, and they’ve helped her become the champion athlete that she is today.
“There were a lot of sacrifices made growing up from my parents, even from my sister,” Amber told People in 2024. “I would say my family have been absolutely essential for me, and their sacrifices, I will never be able to repay, but they’re so supportive and so proud of me.”
Related: Alysa Liu’s Dad Spent Nearly $1M on Her Figure Skating Career: ‘I Spared No Money’
Who is Amber Glenn’s father, Richard?
Amber Glenn’s father, Richard, is a police officer at the Plano Police Department. In order to support his daughter’s endeavors, Richard usually worked up to 30 hours of overtime. “The Plano Police Department has allowed us to work overtime, which really helped with being able to pay some of the bills that we had to pay. My wife did things like babysat the coach’s kids,” Richard told NBC News.
“I still love going to work every day,” he told the outlet in February 2026. “I think [Amber’s] the same way with figure skating. It’s something she’s passionate about. It’s not really work to her. It’s just her life.”
Richard also recalled how Amber’s COVID-19 diagnosis before she was scheduled to perform at the US Nationals in 2019 hindered her Olympics debut. “I tell people that was probably one of the worst nights of our lives because she was so distraught,” he said. She later did a full 180 when she perfected a triple axel and became the U.S. National Champion three years in a row. “Nobody since Michelle Kwan has done that so that’s pretty good company,” Richard said.
And she continued her Olympic dreams and even scored gold in the team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but failed to place in the top 3 during the women’s free skate in a devastating move.
Who is Amber Glenn’s mother, Cathlene?
Amber Glenn’s mother is Cathlene, a fitness instructor. When Amber was starting out in skating, Cathlete would spent time at the rink “helping young skaters, babysitting, and teaching off-ice classes,” according to Time.
Amber recalled how she got her start in skating during their family outings at the mall. “My aunt and my mom would go into the mall while the dads watched us skate,” the skater told People. “That was a very easy, convenient thing that they’re like, ‘It’s an activity that the kids will enjoy.’ ”
As she started ranking up, Amber’s family did what ever they could financially to help he achieve her goals, such as buying dresses on eBay and used skates. “My mom was a huge contributing factor to my success at a young age,” she said. “Then, of course, my dad worked so, so hard to financially pay for it. He worked so, so hard to be able to get the best opportunities for me.”
When Amber came out as the first out LGBTQ+ woman on a US Olympic figure skating team, her parents were her biggest cheerleader. She’s also an outspoken critic against the Trump administration and has spoken about her struggle with depression, ADHD, an eating disorder. “The more fight back she gets from haters, the more she realizes we need to be more outspoken until it’s normalized,” Cathlene told Kens 5 News.
