U.S. - China Issues

18 January 2007

U.S. Olympic Skater Kwan Urges Students To Follow Their Dreams

In Beijing, public diplomacy envoy tells teenagers not to be afraid to fall

By Carolee Walker
USINFO Staff Writer

Washington – The first thing Olympic athlete Michelle Kwan learned about ice skating was how to fall, she says. “In skating you fall a lot,” she told a group of students in Beijing January 18. Yet, like any difficult pursuit, Kwan said smiling, you need to pick yourself up and keep practicing to be better.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named the champion figure skater the first U.S. public diplomacy envoy in November 2006. (See related article.)

A native Californian, Kwan, 26, has won five world championships, nine national championships and two Olympic medals. She speaks Cantonese, a dialect used in Hong Kong and southern China, and is studying Mandarin, the official dialect of China.

Kwan’s visit to Beijing, the athlete’s first trip to China on behalf of the U.S. government, includes dialogue sessions with students at the Dandelion School, a school for the children of migrant workers, and at the Renmin University high school, which is partnered with the Andover School and Exeter Academy, both in Massachusetts.

Kwan told reporters in Beijing that she wanted to share her experience as a champion figure skater and let students know that if they work hard and follow their dreams, they can be successful at anything they choose to do in life.

Kwan also praised the Chinese students she had met for their eagerness to speak to her in English and for their drive and focus on getting the most out of their education.

The China of today is very different from the China of nine years ago, the last time Kwan visited the country, she said, noting the progress and preparations being made for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Kwan is expected to accompany Karen Hughes, U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, to Guangzhou and Hong Kong before returning to the United States where she is an undergraduate student at the University of Denver in Colorado.

As an envoy, Kwan plans to travel to other countries to visit youth organizations and schools, speaking about her personal experience and encouraging mutual understanding among youth. Kwan also hopes to participate in meetings and conferences focused on expanding opportunities for young girls in education and sports.

For more information, see Sports.

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