Peggy Fleming facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peggy Fleming
Fleming at a joint Canada–USA event during the 2010 Winter Olympics
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Born	(1948-07-27) July 27, 1948 (age 77) San Jose, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 4 in
Former coach	William Kipp, Carlo Fassi
Skating club	Arctic Blades FSC, Lake Arrowhead Broadmoor Skating Club, Colorado Springs
Retired	1968
Medal record Figure skating: Ladies' singles Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1968 Grenoble Ladies' singles World Championships Gold 1968 Geneva Ladies' singles Gold 1967 Vienna Ladies' singles Gold 1966 Davos Ladies' singles Bronze 1965 Colorado Springs Ladies' singles North American Championships Gold 1967 Montreal Ladies' singles Silver 1965 Rochester Ladies' singles

Peggy Gale Fleming was born on July 27, 1948. She is a famous American figure skater who is now retired. Peggy won the gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics in ladies' singles. She was the only American to win a gold medal at those Games. She also won the World Championship three times in a row, from 1966 to 1968. After her skating career, Fleming worked as a television commentator for figure skating for over 20 years. She covered many Winter Olympic Games.

Peggy Fleming's Skating Journey

Peggy Fleming grew up in San Jose, California. Her father, Albert Eugene Fleming, was a newspaper journalist and a former U.S. Marine. Her mother was Doris Elizabeth. Peggy started skating when she was nine years old. Her father took her and her three sisters to the ice rink.

In 1961, when Peggy was twelve, a sad event happened. Her coach, William Kipp, died in a plane crash. This crash also took the lives of the entire United States figure skating team. They were on their way to the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships. After this tragedy, Carlo Fassi became Peggy's new coach.

Peggy had a unique and beautiful skating style. This helped her achieve amazing success. She won five U.S. titles and three World titles. Her biggest win was the gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. Her performance at the Olympics was seen as a very important moment for artistic skating.

Peggy's mother chose the color for her Grenoble skating costume. It was a bright green color called chartreuse. This color is named after a special drink made by monks in the area. Peggy's performance was almost perfect. Her gold medal was very important for American athletes and the country. It was the only gold medal the U.S. Olympic team won in 1968. It showed that American women's figure skating was strong again after the 1961 plane crash.

Peggy Fleming came from a regular family. However, she always looked elegant and disciplined. Her mother made her skating costumes. These costumes were simple and classic. Peggy also used moves from ballet in her skating. She showed graceful positions and used classical music. Her posture was always upright and relaxed. Peggy's fame helped women get more recognition in sports. This also helped women become more visible in public life.

Life After Competitive Skating

After winning the Olympics, Peggy Fleming became a professional skater. She appeared on TV shows, including five of her own specials on NBC. She also toured with many skating shows, like Ice Capades. Peggy even filmed a TV show in the USSR and skated in China.

Since 1981, she has been a skating commentator for ABC Sports. In 1993, a national sports study ranked Peggy as the third most popular athlete in America. She was behind other Olympians Mary Lou Retton and Dorothy Hamill.

Peggy Fleming's Personal Life

On June 13, 1970, Peggy Fleming married her high school sweetheart, Greg Jenkins. He is a doctor who specializes in skin care and was also an amateur figure skater. Peggy and Greg have two sons, Andy (born in 1977) and Todd (born in 1988). They also have three grandchildren. The family lives in Denver, Colorado.

In 1998, Peggy Fleming was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily, it was found very early, and surgery helped her recover. After this, she became an activist for breast cancer awareness. She encourages everyone to get checked early.

Peggy and her husband used to own a winery in California called Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery. They made about 2,000 cases of wine each year. Some of their wines had names like "Choreography" and "Victories Rosé." The money from "Victories Rosé" went to charities that supported breast cancer research. Their winery closed in 2011.

In 1988, a special porcelain doll of Peggy Fleming was made by Franklin Mint. In 2007, Peggy appeared as a judge in the movie Blades of Glory. In 2010, a 30-minute documentary was made about Peggy Fleming. She is also an artist and her artwork has been shown with the Art of the Olympians.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Peggy Fleming was in a traffic incident. She was riding in U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's motorcade. She was briefly hospitalized but recovered.

Skating Achievements

Awards and Recognition

• In 1967, Peggy Fleming was named Athlete of the Year by ABC's Wide World of Sports.
• In 2003, she received the "Lombardi Award of Excellence." This award honors Coach Vince Lombardi's spirit and is given to people who show similar qualities.

See also

In Spanish: Peggy Fleming para niños