Danielle Montalbano was born on January 23, 1989, in Manhasset, New York.[1] On May 19, 2015, it was announced that she was engaged to boyfriend and figure skater, Michal Brezina.[2] They married on June 10, 2017.[3] The couple have two children: a daughter, Naya Rose (born 2020) and a son, Noah Michal (born 2022).[4][5]
Career
In 2009, Montalbano teamed up with Evgeni Krasnopolski to compete in pairs. She dislocated her shoulder in practice at the 2011 European Championships, resulting in the pair withdrawing from the event.[6] She broke her ankle in November 2012 while practicing a twist lift – leading to two surgeries, seven screws and a plate – and began rehab after six months.[7] Montalbano and Krasnopolski were coached by Kyoko Ina.[8] Their partnership ended in 2013.
In 2013, Montalbano began competing in ladies' singles.[7] The screws and plate were removed from her ankle following the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy.[9] She won the 2014 Israeli national title and silver at the Toruń Cup. Montalbano was assigned to the 2014 European Championships, where she placed 35th. She then went to Ellenton, Florida, to train with a partner but broke her patella, putting her in a cast for a month.[9] She teamed up with German pair skater Konrad Hocker-Scholler after a tryout in Oberstdorf.[9]
Montalbano announced her retirement from competitive figure skating on September 10, 2015.[10]
