What Does Tonya Harding Do For A Living

So, you’ve been wondering: What does Tonya Harding do for a living? It’s a great question. And the answer is way more fun than you think. Let’s dive into the wild, weird, and wonderful career of one of America’s most infamous athletes.

First, the obvious: She’s still skating.

Yes, the 1994 Olympic skater still laces up her boots. She performs in ice shows and gives skating lessons. But don’t expect a quiet retirement. She’s been known to drop in on local rinks for impromptu freestyle sessions. One time, she skated to a punk rock cover of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It was glorious.

But wait, there’s more. She’s a boxer.

In the early 2000s, Tonya took up professional boxing. She fought in a few matches, including a televised bout against a woman named Samantha “The Sniper” Barnes. The fight was weird, messy, and absolutely captivating. Tonya lost, but she didn’t care. She said, “I just wanted to hit someone legally.”

Did she enjoy it? Sort of. She admitted later that training was brutal. “I hate running,” she once told a reporter. “But I love punching.” Classic Tonya.

Now, the weirdest gig: She repairs lawnmowers.

Yes, you read that right. For years, Tonya worked as a lawnmower mechanic in Oregon and Washington. She could rebuild an engine from scratch. She once said, “It’s like a triple axel, but with grease.” Customers loved her. One guy brought her a broken mower and said, “Aren’t you that skater?” She replied, “Nope, I’m just the lady who fixes your grass machine.”

Why lawnmowers? She needed steady work. And she genuinely liked the puzzle of fixing things. Plus, she could listen to heavy metal while she worked. Nothing says “Tonya Harding” like a welding torch and a Metallica playlist.

She also dabbles in reality TV.

In 2018, she appeared on The Jump, a British celebrity ski-jumping show. She finished runner-up, but the real entertainment was her trash talk. She told one contestant, “I’ve jumped off actual cliffs. This is a bunny hill.” She also appeared on Dancing with the Stars? No. Wait. She was asked to appear, but she turned it down. “I don’t dance,” she said. “I fight. And fix mowers.”

Celebrity Boxing Tonya Harding 60 Photos - Moonagedaydream.film

And let’s not forget her punk rock phase.

Tonya once tried to start a punk band called The Icebreakers. They never recorded an album, but she performed a cover of “I Wanna Be Sedated” at a dive bar in Portland. The crowd went nuts. She smashed a microphone stand. It was chaotic. It was perfect.

She also wrote a memoir in 2008 called The Tonya Tapes. It’s raw, unfiltered, and includes a chapter titled “How to Change Your Own Oil.” She’s a woman of many talents.

So, what does she actually do for a living right now?

As of 2025, Tonya Harding lives in a small town in Oregon. She sells autographed memorabilia—mostly photos and skate blades. She also does the occasional paycheck appearance at ice rinks, signing hockey jerseys and telling stories. She once signed a lawnmower blade for a fan. “That’s the most creative I’ve ever been,” she laughed.

She’s not rich, but she doesn’t seem to care. She drives a beat-up pickup truck. She still smokes cigarettes (yes, she’s that Tonya). And she’s famously unbothered by the drama that follows her.

What Does Tonya Harding Do For A Living? The Former Olympic Figure

Why is this all so fun to talk about?

Because Tonya Harding is a living meme. She’s a chaotic force of nature who refuses to be a tragic figure. She’s not trying to be a saint or a villain. She’s just Tonya. Skater, boxer, mechanic, punk rocker. The woman has range.

And that’s the magic of her story. She went from Olympic heartbreak to lawnmower grease. From tabloid infamy to welding torches. She didn’t become a billionaire or a celebrity influencer. She became real. Raw. Unapologetic.

Fun fact: She once welded a custom ice skate from a lawnmower blade.

Did it work? Kind of. She said it was “too heavy to jump in, but great for grinding on a rusty rail.” That’s Tonya Harding in a nutshell: making something beautiful out of something broken. And loving every second of it.

So next time someone asks, “What does Tonya Harding do for a living?” you can answer with a smile. “She does anything she wants. And she does it with a cigarette in one hand and a socket wrench in the other.”

Now, go out there and fix a lawnmower. Or skate a triple axel. Or just laugh at the beautiful chaos of it all.