Clara Hughes, OC
OM MSC...born in
Winnipeg, Manitoba
September
27, 1972 is a Canadian cyclist and speed skater
who
has won multiple Olympic medals in both sports.
As a
youth, she smoked cigarettes, drank a lot and did a lot of
drugs...not envisioning herself as a athlete. She was inspired to
begin skating after witnessing Gaetan Boucher at the 1988 Winter
Olympics. Starting with speed skating, in 1990 she moved to
competitive cycling, competing in track cycling and road cycling.
Eventually she returned to the sport of speed skating at the age of
28, after achieving success in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. With her
experience and endurance earned through cycling, Hughes went on to a
successful career competing in the 3,000 m and 5,000 m. At the age of
38, she successfully returned for the 2012 Summer Olympics held in
London, England.
For
Clara, success means more than earning medals.
It
means having a voice and using the opportunity
to
reach out and help others.
After
winning gold in 2006,
Clara
donated $10,000 of her personal savings to the Right
to Play programs.
This donation challenged Canadians to support the cause...raising
over a half-million dollars for the international humanitarian
organization that uses sport for development. In 2010, she donated
her $10,000 medal
bonus
to the Vancouver inner city school program...Take
a Hike...which
uses adventure based learning to give youth at risk a better
direction in life.
She
is the National Spokesperson for Bell
Canada's Mental Health
initiative & the
Let's Talk
campaign.
By
sharing past struggles with depression, Clara has helped break down
the stigma
associated
with all forms of mental illness. ***
Road
Racing Medals Achieved
Olympic
Games:
Bronze~1996
Atlanta (Road Race) and Bronze~1996
Atlanta (Time Trial)
World
Championships:
Silver~1995
Tunja (Time Trial)
Commonwealth
Games:
Gold~
2002 Manchester (Time Trial)
Pan
American Games:
Gold~2003
Santo Domingo (Points Race); Silver~1995
Mar del Plata (Road Race); Silver~2003
S. Domingo (Time Trial); Bronze~1995
Mar del Plata (Time Trial)
Pan
American Championships:
Gold~2011
(Medellin); Gold~(Medellin)
Track
Cycling Medals Achieved
Commonwealth
Games:
Bronze
2002 Manchester (24 km Points Race)
Pan
American Games:
Silver
1991 Havana (Individual Pursuit)
Speed
Skating Medals Achieved
Olympic
Games:
Gold~2006
Turin (5,000 m); Silver~(Team
Pursuit); Bronze~2002
Salt Lake City (5,000m); Bronze~2010
Vancouver (5,000m).
World
Championships:
Gold~2004
Seoul (5,000m); Silver~2003
Berlin (5,000m); Silver~
2008 Nagano (5,000m); Silver~2009
Vancouver (5,000m); Silver~2005
Inzell (Team Pursuit); Bronze~2005
Inzell (5,000m).
Clara's
Vision
Her pursuit of excellence has carried her to the top of her field in
both cycling and speed skating. Her determination, dignity and
integrity are forces which have driven her to go beyond what most
people would consider reasonable limits. By setting an example of
sportsmanship and creating a supportive environment in every team she
has been a part of, Clara has supported and aided in the growth and
development of many young athletes. She has never lost the
connection of what it was like to be inspired for the first time in
her life. This inspiration came when she was 16 years old...from
sport!
Honours
Bestowed Upon Her
In
2006, she was awarded the Order
of Manitoba
and in 2007 a Member
of the Order of Canada.
On
May 23, 2008, she was awarded an Honourary
Doctorate of Law
from the University of Manitoba.
On
February 12, 2010, she was the Canadian
Olympic Team Flag Bearer
for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
On
April 7, 2010, she was made an officer of the Order
of Canada.
On
June 8, 2010, it was announced that she would receive a Star on
Canada's
Walk of Fame.
On
September 23, 2010, she received an Honourary
Degree from the University of New Brunswick.
On
November 15, 2010, Hughes was inducted into Canada's
Sports Hall of Fame.
On
January 16, 2012, The Canadian Association for the Advancement of
Women in Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announced Hughes as
one of twenty women selected to the Most Influential Women in Sport
and Physical Activity (MIW) for 2011.
The objective of the list is to focus on women who are leaders and
role models making a difference on the Canadian or international
scene.
On
June 30, 2014, Hughes was honoured with the Meritorious
Service Cross (Civil Division).
***Clara's
Big Ride for “Let's Talk about Mental Illness”
Clara Hughes rode her bike 11,000 kilometres for 110 days around
Canada from March 11 to July 1, 2014 (with a team of riding
supporters) to get people talking about 'Mental Illness'. Clara
Hughes, herself had struggled with deep depression at one stage in
her career..and now speaks freely to assemblies about it...and how
she overcame this setback.
The
recent CTV presentation could have been all about cycling through
hard crosswinds, driving snow and exhaustion; instead it provides the
thread between stories told by Canadians affected by mental illness:
a teacher who has depression, anxiety and panic attacks; a
university student who attempted suicide; a community worker in
Northern Canada trying to prevent youth suicide; a soldier with
post-traumatic stress disorder. One woman, struggling with an eating
disorder, was told by her doctor to 'just eat something.' Another
with depression, says she was told by her physician to not talk about
it because people would judge her. During this ride, ending at
Parliament Hill in Ottawa on July 1, 2014 with a celebration, she had
participated in 235 events held throughout her ride in 105
communities. Hughes felt she achieved her goal of 'starting
a conversation' about
mental illness and removing the fear of talking about it.
She and her husband, Peter Guzman, hiked 850 kilometres of the
Appalachian Trail from December 3 to January 12, 2015, winter camping
along the way. They intend to return to the trail in February and
eventually complete the 3,746 kilometre trek that traverses 14 US
states. “To be in such a public position for 110 days across Canada
was something that I hadn't experienced before...so quite honestly,
it took an 850-kilometre very quiet hike with Peter to let it all
settle in...and connect back with myself.
I always try to go back to something that allows me to struggle...and
allows me to endure...and allows me to feel just a very silent
satisfaction of having gotten through it.”
Clara's
Philosophy
I have always believed that knowledge becomes wisdom when it is
shared with others. By remaining open to learning...open to
growing...and most importantly 'open to be inspired'...I've realized
what it's like to live one's dreams for over 20 years in my sport.
And this bodes me well for now and the future.
Scripted by Merle Baird-Kerr...January 28, 2015
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