Canada's fastest on the ice and the asphalt
Little did Clara Hughes imagine that while pursuing her speed skating dream, she would first compete for Olympic medals in a completely different summer sport.
The Olympic dream of Clara Hughes began in 1988 when she caught her first glimpse of the Winter Games on television. Watching speed skaters glide around the oval inspired her to believe that one day she, too, could represent Canada in that same sport. Little did she imagine that in pursuing her speed skating dream, she would first compete in two Olympic Summer Games.
Clara took up competitive speed skating at 16, and even won a junior national title. She started cycling as a means of training for her main sport, however her potential as a cyclist was noticed by officials, who urged her to pursue the summer sport competitively. Choosing cycling over speed skating was a tough decision, but it turned out to be a good one.
With more than 100 victories under her belt, including two bronze medals in the 1996 Olympic Summer Games, medals in both the Pan American and Commonwealth Games, plus numerous World Cycling and National Championship titles, Clara had established herself as one of the best cyclists in the world. It was now time to refocus and pursue her speed skating dream.
The 2000-01 season on ice, her first in 10 years, was full of unprecedented achievements: Clara earned a spot on the National Team after only seven weeks of specific training, and then shocked the sporting world during the 2002 Olympic Games when, only 16 months after competing in her second Summer Olympic Games as a cyclist, she won a bronze medal in the grueling 5000m speed skating event. This, along with her two medals from the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in cycling, made Clara the only Canadian, and fourth ever athlete in history, to win medals in both Winter and Summer Games.
Clara became one of the top long-distance skaters in the world leading into the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. With World Cup victories, a World Championships title, and a world record in the epic 10,000m event, Clara was a definite favourite for the 5000m race. She did not disappoint, winning gold in a gripping race that saw her take the lead with only 200m to go. Along with her Silver Medal in the team pursuit in those same Games, Clara became the only athlete in history to win multiple medals in Winter and Summer Olympic Games.
At the 2010 Olympic Games, Clara proudly led the Canadian athletes into B.C. Place to kick off her first ‘home Games’ and last Olympic Winter Games as a speed skater. She went on to show, once again, that she is one of the best athletes when it comes to performing under pressure. At the age of 37, Clara thrilled the home crowd of 7000+ at the Richmond Olympic Oval to a bronze medal in her favourite and most grueling distance, the 5,000m.
For over 20 years, Clara has followed her bliss through the world of sport. Living by the mantra, “movement is medicine,” she has enjoyed a multitude of success but considers her work outside of the realm of sport to shine far brighter than any and all of her athletic achievements. Clara Hughes was awarded the Order of Sport and inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.