Clara Hughes

Clara Hughes Web (I made it with Inspiration)

Why I Chose My Hero: I chose Clara Hughes for many different reasons. First of all, I thought she was more than just an athlete, she also cares for others. I also chose her because I thought it was interesting that she is the only one in history to have won multiple medals in both Summer and Winter Olympic games. She has not been afraid to pursue her dreams, but her ultimate goal is to inspire and create hope in peoples' lives. She had to work very hard to make a big change in her life to do that. She does not only have dreams, but she is living them. She is a great leader, influence and athlete!

Clara Hughes portrait. (I drew it!)

Her Personal Life: Clara Hughes was born on September 27, 1972. She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and grew up in a dysfunctional family. Her parents divorced and she admitted to CBC that as a teen she smoked cigarettes. She even experimented with drugs and sometimes skipped school. She became inspired in 1988 when she tuned into the Calgary Winter Olympics and saw Gaetan Boucher speed skating. She decided to pursue her interest and changed her life by training hard and even becoming a straight A student. It takes a lot of determination to make a change like that. It shows great character. Her struggles continued once she finished her first ever Olympics in 1996 where she brought back two bronze medals. She suffered from depression as she explained to CTV news. She tried to continue training, but found herself tired, depressed and pushing others away. She finally got help from one of her trainers who made an effort to talk to her. It was not easy for her and again it shows her strength and it inspires others that it is okay to get help with depression.

Clara Hughes in action. ( I drew it!)

Accomplishments: Clara Hughes has been a successful Canadian cyclist and also speed skater. To me, one of the most amazing parts is that she has won an amazing SIX Olympic medals both at the Summer and Winter Olympics. Can you believe she is the only one in history to have won multiple medals in Summer and Winter Olympics!?! She won two medals in the 1996 Summer Olympics and four medals over the course of three Winter Olympics. She was also named the Female Athlete of the Year in 2004. She has been included in the list of The Most Influential Women in 2006, and in 2010 she received a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame. Again, one of her amazing accomplishments to me is that she was able to fight back from depression and continue her journey to give back. She even donated $10,000 to Right to Play after her medal in 2006. It shows how important it is to her to help youth who might not have the opportunities in sports like her. One other of Hughes' amazing accomplishments is that a new recreational park in Winnipeg, will be named after Clara Hughes in honor of her athletic career and inspirational battle with depression. For the Summer Olympics 2012, Clara Hughes comes in fifth place in cycling. Although it is not what she was hoping for, it is still a tremendous accomplishment. Hughes has made so many amazing accomplishments, she can feel proud of herself.

Conclusion: Being a six time Olympic medalist is an accomplishment that cannot be recognized enough. Clara's willpower and strength to be a better athlete and person is a special talent that not a lot of people have. She is an amazing Canadian woman. She is a great leader who brings inspiration to many people. She has reached many of her goals and also had to overcome many obstacles on her way. She also does a lot of youth and has brought many opportunities for many people. Because of her success and perseverance in sports and also her personal life, Clara Hughes is my Hero. But that's not it for Clara! She is still working and I'm sure she still has more success ahead of her too.