Charles Wahlig’s accomplishments in the sport of roller skating include winning national speed skating and dance competitions, medaling at the world championships, coaching teams that dominated international competition for several decades, serving as president of USA Roller Sports for eight terms, and owning four Delaware roller rinks.
Wahlig is the only person to have won both the USA National Senior Dance and the USA National Senior Men’s Speed Skating titles at the same Championships in 1957. These are two completely different disciplines of roller sports and a feat that has never been duplicated. In 1958 he won the Senior Dance nationals with a different partner, and in 1959 took second place in the World speed competition in New Zealand.
In the 1960’s Wahlig turned from competing to coaching Artistic and Speed Roller sports. He devised training, conditioning, and racing methods held on the Olympic Training Center’s banked track in Colorado that resulted in International Gold Medal success for the American skaters. He coached for 30 years, including the 1979 Pan American Games in Cuba and competitions in over 24 countries.
He was a member of the USAC/RS Board of Directors for over 20 years and served eight terms as President. He also served as Vice President of the Federation Internationale of Roller Sports (FIRS). He coached over 1,000 State, Regional, National, and World Champions. In his later years he trained with his sons and completed 10 sprint triathlons, as well as setting the record for skating a 26-mile marathon at 1:29.31.
In 1975 Charles was offered a chance to purchase the Elsmere Skating rink and within the next several years, he and his wife, Connie, built the Christiana rink in Newark, bought the Dover rink, and leased the one in Milford.
In 1989, he received the State of Delaware Distinguished Service Award. He is the only person inducted into USA Roller Sports Hall of Fame as an athlete (1983), as a coach (1993), and for distinguished service (1996). Charles passed away in 2007.