A lovely morning with Olympian Michelle Kwan
In Partnership with Procter & Gamble
One of my favorite parts of staying in South Korea was the incredible views! Our hotel overlooked the water. Another cool part of the hotel was that so many of the athletes stayed there, including Olympian Michelle Kwan! I had the opportunity to sit down with Michelle to talk about fitness, fashion, and her background as one of the most decorated figure skaters in US history.
Yoga is a huge passion of Michelle’s so we started our day practicing yoga on the rooftop of the hotel with the most spectacular view you can ever imagine. Thank God, the sun was out that day because winter in Korea is COLD! I enjoyed it so much especially after traveling across the globe the day before. Yoga really is the best form of exercise for my body and for my mind. I was really impressed with her flexibility; I have been practicing yoga for less than a year but I can recognize when a person enjoys and put all the heart into it.
We had such a great workout and I even worked up a little sweat (even in the cold weather)! One of my go-to products for staying fresh is Secret’s new Active Cool Invisible Spray Antiperspirant and Deodorant. It’s designed to give you more protection in the moments when it matters most, so sweat and odor are no match for its 48 hours of protection.
As I am fairly active and try to exercise regularly, Downy Protect and Refresh is another one of my favorites. It's like deodorant for your clothes, making it perfect for my active lifestyle – whether it’s running around the home, dancing with my husband, or even the most difficult yoga position Since I knew I would be traveling for several days, I used Downy before the trip -- it not only keeps my clothes staying fresh but it also smooths and strengthens fibers to protect clothes from stretching and fading.
One of the favorite parts of my experience with P&G was getting to talk with Michelle Kwan about her stories as a figure skater, her relationship with her mom, and her life post-Olympics. As a five-time World Champion, she began skating when she was just 5 years old and by age 7 had set her sights on making it to the Olympics someday. In 1996, Michelle's life took a 180-degree turn in her favor. Her incredible grace with figure skating was recognized at the United States level and later in the Olympics.
All this was thanks to the dedication and determination of her and her parents, who always supported her. There were obstacles, of course, including economics (figure skating is an expensive sport to practice!), but her family, especially her mother was always there to support her. Her parents, who are immigrants to the US from Hong Kong, worked multiple jobs to pay for her skating equipment and lessons. She even told me that her mom use to hand make her costumes to cut down on costs. All of this support and sacrifice from her family made her journey that much more meaningful.
Michelle recently became an ambassador for the latest installment of Procter & Gamble’s “Thank You, Mom” campaign, called “Love Over Bias” — and it was incredible to hear her journey to success and the integral role her mom played in that journey be reflected in this film. Michelle’s story, and those of other athletes who overcome different forms of bias, inspired the film to spotlight the role of the mother and imaging the world through their eyes.
For me, the ‘Love Over Bias’ film reminded me so much of the journey that my mom and I shared on my path. Her unconditional love and support were critical to helping me rise above any judgements I have faced from others.
