Clara Hughes was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on September 27, 1972. A gifted endurance athlete, she is the co-holder of the Canadian record for Olympic medals won (that record is shared with her speed skating teammate Cindy Klassen, who also happens to hail from Winnipeg). Even more impressive is that her medals were earned in both Summer and Winter Olympic competition. Excelling as both a cyclist and a speed skater, she is one of only a few dozen athletes to compete in both Olympic seasons, and the only athlete to win multiple medals in each.
In her retirement, Clara has used her public profile to advance the cause of mental health awareness. Drawing on her own battles with deep depression, she is the national spokeswoman for the Bell Let’s Talk Mental Health Initiative, an annual drive to increase awareness of and decrease stigma surrounding mental illness.
Congratulations to MosesRIP and myst354 for the FTF!
