Clara Hughes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Clara Hughes

Hughes at the induction ceremony of Canada's Walk of Fame in 2010
Personal information
Birth name	Clara Hughes
Nationality	Canadian
Born	(1972-09-27) September 27, 1972 (age 52) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height	176 cm
Weight	69 kg
Spouse(s)	Peter Guzman
Sport
Country	Canada
Sport	Speed skating
Retired	February 24, 2010 (speed skating)
Medal record Representing  Canada Women's road cycling Olympic Games Bronze 1996 Atlanta Road race Bronze 1996 Atlanta Time Trial World Championships Silver 1995 Tunja Time Trial Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester Time Trial Pan American Games Silver 1995 Mar del Plata Road Race Silver 2003 Santo Domingo Time Trial Bronze 1995 Mar del Plata Time Trial Pan American Championships Gold 2011 Medellín Road race Gold 2011 Medellín Time Trial Women's track cycling Commonwealth Games Bronze 2002 Manchester Points Race Pan American Games Gold 2003 Santo Domingo Points Race Silver Havana 1991 Individual Pursuit Women's speed skating Olympic Games Gold 2006 Turin 5000 m Silver 2006 Turin Team pursuit Bronze 2002 Salt Lake City 5000 m Bronze 2010 Vancouver 5000 m World Single Distance Championships Gold 2004 Seoul 5000 m Silver 2003 Berlin 5000 m Silver 2008 Nagano 5000 m Silver 2009 Vancouver 5000 m Silver 2005 Inzell Team pursuit Bronze 2005 Inzell 5000 m

Clara Hughes (born September 27, 1972) is a Canadian athlete. She is famous for winning many Olympic medals in two different sports: cycling and speed skating. Hughes earned two bronze medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She also won four medals, including one gold, one silver, and two bronze, across three Winter Olympics.

Clara Hughes is one of the few athletes who have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. She is also one of only six people to have won medals in both versions of the Games. What makes her unique is that she is the only person ever to have won multiple medals in both Summer and Winter Olympics. She was also the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in road cycling. She achieved this by winning two medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Because of her amazing success in sports and her work helping others, Hughes has received special honors. She was named to the Order of Manitoba and became an Officer of the Order of Canada. She works with Right To Play, an organization that uses sports to help young people in areas that need support. After winning her gold medal in 2006, she donated $10,000 to this important cause.

Throughout her career, Clara Hughes received many other awards. Speed Skating Canada named her Female Athlete of the Year for long track in 2004. In 2006, she received the International Olympic Committee's Sport and Community Trophy. She was also recognized by the Canadian Association for Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS) as one of the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity in 2006. In 2010, she received a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame. On November 15, 2010, she was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Clara Hughes's Athletic Journey

Clara Hughes was born in Winnipeg, Canada. She graduated from Elmwood High School. She was inspired to start skating after watching Gaétan Boucher at the 1988 Winter Olympics. She began with speed skating. In 1990, she switched to competitive cycling, focusing on both track cycling and road cycling.

Hughes started speed skating when she was 16 and took up cycling at 17. After her success at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, she returned to speed skating at age 28. Her experience and strong endurance from cycling helped her succeed in the 3,000 meter and 5,000 meter speed skating events. This led her to win medals in these long-distance races at the Winter Olympics. She then returned to cycling at age 38 and competed in the 2012 London Olympics.

Cycling Achievements

Clara Hughes during the 2011 Tour of the Gila cycling race.

Clara Hughes has won 18 Canadian national cycling championships. She earned a silver medal at the 1995 World Cycling Championships in the time trial event.

She competed in the 1991, 1995, 1999, and 2003 Pan American Games. She won eight medals at these Pan American Games. Hughes also participated in the 1990, 1994, and 2002 Commonwealth Games. She won a gold medal in the road time trial in 2002. She also earned a bronze medal in the points race on the velodrome in 2002. In 1994, she won a silver medal in the 50 km team time trial.

Hughes competed in the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, she won two bronze medals. These were for the individual road race and the individual time trial. These were the second and third medals ever for Canada in road cycling. They were also the first cycling medals for a Canadian woman.

Hughes competed four times in the women's Tour de France. She won the 1994 Women's Challenge and the 1995 Liberty Classic races.

In November 2010, she announced she would return to cycling to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2011 Pan American Championships, Hughes won both the individual time trial and the road race by a large margin. In May 2011, she won the Tour of the Gila and two stages of the race. She also won the Chrono Gatineau time trials in May 2011. In June 2012, she was chosen for Canada's 2012 London Olympics team. She finished 32nd in the road race and 5th in the road time trial at the 2012 Olympics.

Cycling Wins and Awards

Speed Skating Success

Clara Hughes speed skating in 2007.

In the 2000/2001 season, Clara Hughes made a successful return to speed skating. She competed in the World Single Distance Championships in Salt Lake City, finishing 11th in the 3000 meter race.

The next season, she qualified for the 2002 Winter Olympics. She placed 10th in the 3000 meter event. Then, she won a bronze medal in the 5000 meter race, just ahead of her Canadian teammate Cindy Klassen. With this, she became only the second speed skater to win medals in both the Summer and Winter Games. She was the fourth person and second woman overall to achieve this. By 2006, she was the only Olympian to have won multiple medals at both the Summer and Winter Games.

Clara Hughes leading the Canadian team into BC Place during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, she won her first gold medal in the 5000 meter event. She also won a silver medal in the team pursuit as part of the Canadian team. This brought her to five Olympic medals, tying the Canadian record at the time.

Inspired by another athlete, Joey Cheek, Clara Hughes donated $10,000 of her own money to Right to Play after winning her 2006 gold medal.

Hughes also held a world record in the 10,000 meter race. She set a time of 14:19.73 on March 13, 2007, in Calgary. This record was later broken, but it remains the Canadian record.

On January 29, 2010, she was chosen as the Canadian Flag Bearer for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. During these Games, she won a bronze medal in the 5,000 meters. This was her final Olympic speed skating race. Her time of 6:55.73 set a new track record, though it was soon surpassed by other skaters. This medal brought her career total to six, tying her with teammate Cindy Klassen as the Canadian athlete with the most Olympic medals.

Clara Hughes's Personal Life and Advocacy

Clara Hughes is the national spokesperson for the Bell Canada 'Let's Talk Mental Health' initiative. This includes Bell 'Let's Talk Day'. Hughes shares her own experiences with depression to help others. She works to reduce the negative feelings and misunderstandings often linked with mental health issues. Since 2013, Hughes has organized annual bike rides across Canada to raise awareness about mental health. In 2015, a documentary called Clara's Big Ride was released. Her book, Open Heart, Open Mind, was also published in 2015.

Personal Best Records

Honors and Recognition

Clara Hughes has received many honors for her achievements and contributions.

• In 2006, she was awarded the Order of Manitoba.
• In 2007, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
• On May 23, 2008, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Manitoba.
• In 2008, Hughes was named an in motion Champion by the province of Manitoba.
• On February 12, 2010, she was the Canadian Olympic Team flag bearer for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter 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 honorary 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 and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) named Hughes as one of the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity for 2011. This was her third time on this list.
• On April 27, 2013, a steep hill in Dundas, Ontario, where she trained, was officially renamed 'Clara's Climb' in her honor.
• In 2014, Hughes received the Loyola Medal from Concordia University.
• On June 30, 2014, Hughes was honored with the Meritorious Service Cross (Civil Division).
• On January 29, 2015, a school named Clara Hughes Public School officially opened in Oshawa, Ontario.
• On June 14, 2016, Hughes was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Victoria.

See also

In Spanish: Clara Hughes para niños

• List of Olympians who won medals in the Summer and Winter Games
• Georgia Simmerling, Canadian female cyclist who competed at Summer and Winter Olympics
• List of Canadian sports personalities
• List of multi-sport athletes