Michel Breistroff
- July 17, 1996
- 25 years
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About Michel Breistroff
*Michel Breistroff, 25, French ice hockey player.
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60 Seconds Life Story
Michel Breistroff was a talented French professional ice hockey defenceman who balanced elite athletics with
Michel Breistroff
d. 1996
60 Seconds: Michel Breistroff's Life Story
A brief documentary look at the life and athletic career of French ice hockey player Michel Breistroff.
Transcript
Michel Breistroff was a talented French professional ice hockey defenceman who balanced elite athletics with academic excellence. Born in Roubaix, he pursued his education at Harvard University, where he graduated with a degree in anthropology. After his time in the NCAA, he returned to France to compete professionally for the Gothiques d'Amiens. He also proudly represented his home country on the national team during the 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Tragically, his life was cut short at age twenty-five in the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 off the coast of New York. Following his death, his fiancée Heidi Snow established a nonprofit support group for families affected by aviation disasters. Michel Breistroff remains remembered as a dedicated athlete who left behind a lasting legacy of resilience through the support organization born from his loss.
Play the illustrated life story above, or read the full biography on this page.
Visual credits: Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Own work (CC0) · Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Own work (CC BY 4.0)
An illustrated presentation assembled inside the archive from the approved script and the credited images: narration, scene transitions and captions. Caption timing is estimated from the narration.
Narrated illustration. Images are sourced and credited; they are not presented as authenticated photographs.
Full Biography
|Michel Breistroff (February 5, 1971 – July 17, 1996) was a French professional ice hockey defenceman.
Breistroff was born in Roubaix, France. A graduate in anthropology from Harvard University, he died at 25 in the crash of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island, New York. He was playing professional ice hockey for French league team Gothiques d'Amiens at the time of his death. He also played with the France national team during the 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships in Vienna.
As a passenger on TWA Flight 800, he was killed when the plane exploded shortly after takeoff in 1996. His then-fiancée, Heidi Snow, subsequently created AirCraft Casualty Emotional Support Services ("ACCESS"), an American nonprofit support group, based in New York City, which helps surviving family members of aircraft crash victims.
Playing career
- 1990–1995 NCAA – Harvard University
- 1995–1996 French League – Ducs d'Angers
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Breistroff
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
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- Sep 26, 2026
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