Career
Though born in Palo Alto, California, Sumners was raised in Edmonds, Washington and learned to skate there, and considered it to be her hometown throughout her skating career. 5th Avenue in Edmonds was renamed "Rosalynn Sumners Boulevard" in 1984 after her Olympic performance. "Roz" as many would call her was a very hard working skater.
Her coach, Lorraine Borman, was called the "Wizard of Roz" and established her student"s artistry as her strong point in her skating.
Sumners balanced her athleticism and artistry which always gave her that competitive edge. Sumners turned professional after the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Sumners lent three of her world figure skating medals to an Edmonds bank for display in 1984. When she returned to pick them up, the bank had changed ownership, and no one knew where the medals had been stored.
They were lost for 20 years, but discovered as unclaimed property in a safe deposit box and returned to Sumners (with a mock "awards" ceremony) by the state of Washington in 2004.