Here's What Really Happened To Michelle Kwan

In February 1998, all eyes were on two skaters at the Nagano Olympic Games: former figure skater Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan. While 15-year-old Lipinski was an energetic and exciting skater to watch, Kwan entered the Games as the favorite for the gold medal. In the end, Lipinski went home with the top honor, and Kwan earned the silver. Despite that loss, Kwan remains one of the most successful and decorated figure skaters in the history of the sport, having won nearly every honor possible except for that Olympic gold.

There's a whole lot more to Kwan than just figure skating, however, despite the massive influence the sport has had on her life. Following her exit from skating in 2006, Kwan leapt into an academic career in international studies that precipitated a professional career in diplomacy. She's worked on multiple presidential campaigns, and in December 2021, President Biden nominated her to be the U.S. Ambassador to Belize.

Kwan's personal life has also been full of ups, downs, and surprises. Her marriage ended dramatically in 2017, and in January 2022, she announced the birth of her first child. Keep reading to learn what Michelle Kwan has been up to since the Olympics.

The women's figure skating competition at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games was fierce. Both 15-year-old Tara Lipinski and 18-year-old Michelle Kwan were favored for the gold medal, with many assuming the older and more mature Kwan would edge out her energetic rival. However, both women performed their routines nearly flawlessly, and Lipinski won the medal, especially since her routine was technically more difficult. 

The news surprised many, especially as Kwan had just enjoyed an incredibly successful run at that year's National Championships, where she took home the top honor and earned multiple perfect 6.0 scores. But while surprise might have been the initial feeling, in later years, some understood the upset in a new way after reflection. As The Washington Post reporter and longtime figure skating fan Robert Samuels told Deadspin, Lipinski just had a different energy to her that night. As Samuels put it, "We could see that actually she kind of did deserve to win. She was freer and better." That energy, according to Samuels, included her "zipping across the ice," as the expert described.

Kwan's coach, Frank Carroll, even agreed. In a documentary about the skater (via Deadspin), Carroll reportedly told Kwan, "You skated very well but Tara Lipinski skated better. Tara deserved to win this Olympic gold medal."

Michelle Kwan enjoyed a truly prolific and successful career as a figure skater, but Olympic gold would elude her for the rest of her career. However, far from being something that Kwan looks back on with regret or negativity, she has a truly wonderful perspective on her time as a skater. As she told Forbes, she was able to enjoy a long skating career that even her once-rival, Olympic gold medalists Tara Lipinski, didn't get to have (Lipinski retired from Olympic-level competition shortly after the 1998 Games).

Kwan admitted to Forbes that, as a child, she kept a Nagano Olympics sticker on her bed in the years leading up to the Games to motivate herself. Even though she didn't earn the top win that night, she learned a lot, and a silver medal is still an incredible achievement. "You dream of winning, right? You don't dream, of winning the silver medal. But it is still a dream come true where you work so hard, you train, you train, you train, because you went out there in the Olympics and skated your heart out!"

In 2006, Michelle Kwan was gearing up to compete in her third Winter Olympics when an injury forced her to make the excruciating decision to drop out of the Games. The news was particularly painful for Kwan to announce, as she had only been added to the 2006 Olympic team mere weeks before. As People reported at the time, an older groin injury almost kept her out of the Games, and a second, newer injury forced Kwan to sideline herself completely.

In a tearful press conference, Kwan explained her decision to leave. "Taking myself off the team is the most difficult decision I've ever had to make. But it's the right decision," she admitted. After being pressed for more, Kwan added that her pain extended to many parts of herself, saying, "It's physical pain that's keeping me from performing and skating. But it's also emotional pain as well" (via People).

And, just like that, the stunning career of a powerful figure skater came to an end. As Kwan pointed out, her own feelings about the Games were part of the reason she knew competing in 2006 wasn't for her. "I respect the Olympics too much to compete and I don't feel I can be at my best," she said (via CBS News).

After withdrawing from the 2006 Olympic Games, Michelle Kwan found herself at a crossroads and decided to do something about it. She enrolled in classes at the University of Denver that year, majoring in international studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies and minoring in political science.

The decision revealed a different, political side of Kwan that many might not have suspected. Personally, enrolling at the university provided Kwan with her first in-person school experience since middle school. As she told the University of Denver Magazine, joining students in person, for her, was revelatory. "From seventh grade on I had tutors while I was training and competing, and it was a big transition to go from full-time skating to full-time student," she explained.

Earning her degree in international studies changed the trajectory of Kwan's life completely. While still in school, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made Kwan the first-ever U.S. Public Diplomacy Envoy, which allowed the former skater to travel around the world and promote multiculturalism with the youth she met along the way. As Kwan revealed, she soon found a new life path. "I discovered that diplomacy — finding common ground, helping people and countries come together — was a real interest for me," she said.

Michelle Kwan's academic journey didn't end with her 2009 graduation from the University of Denver. In 2010, she was accepted to a graduate-level program at Tufts University, where she began studying at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asked if Kwan would continue her role with the department while in graduate school, and Kwan was only too happy to accept.

After graduating in 2011, Kwan moved to Washington, D.C., and took a job as an adviser at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She enjoyed the job tremendously, telling U.S. Figure Skating, "It was exciting to be in a position to develop innovative policy for public engagement to enhance public affairs on key priorities across the department." The role also connected Kwan with Hillary Clinton for the first time, as the former skater also became an adviser to Clinton's U.S.-China Women's Leadership Exchange and Dialogue program. The two women would later reconnect in a historical way — one that would, ultimately, make Kwan very proud.

The years that followed Michelle Kwan's graduation from Tufts University were jam-packed with both personal and professional life events. In 2012, she got engaged to Clay Pell, a politician from Arizona who had worked at the U.S. Department of Education. Pell proposed to Kwan in Rhode Island. She told People at the time, "It was a simple decision and it made sense, that's what's so exciting to me. We are working together as a team, like in [pair skating]."

The couple married the following year, with Kwan admitting she cried happy tears throughout the day. Pell told People, "As she was walking into the church, I could feel her." Things between the two seemed perfect, which made Pell's 2017 announcement that the two were divorcing very surprising — even to Kwan herself, who reportedly found out about the divorce on Twitter, like everyone else did.

Pell filed for divorce in March 2017 without, apparently, consulting Kwan at all, issuing the following announcement (via The U.S. Sun): "It is with deep regret that I share that Michelle and my marriage is coming to an end. This is a sad and difficult turn of events for our family. I love Michelle, and wish her the very best as her life takes her in a new direction." In the years that followed, Pell married his high school girlfriend, while Kwan kept her love life out of the media entirely.

Despite that personal setback, Michelle Kwan kept herself focused. In 2016, she joined Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign as a surrogate outreach coordinator. Her primary role was working with celebrity and politician endorsers, which meant Kwan spent a lot of time coordinating with managers and agents to get support for Clinton's run.

Kwan told U.S. Figure Skating that working on the campaign was an honor, despite Clinton's eventual loss. As she explained, "I had the opportunity to work with her firsthand and wanted to jump in on the campaign trail to help get the first female president elected." Kwan also cited a speech Clinton made about why she chose to run as inspiration for her own political future, saying, "I found that very powerful."

As The Florida Times-Union reported, Kwan spent time on the campaign trail visiting college campuses and speaking about Clinton's plans to make a college education easier to afford. While her candidate ultimately didn't win, Kwan clearly gained invaluable experience.

Michelle Kwan was likely disappointed by Hillary Clinton's defeat in 2016, but true to form, she took what could have been an upsetting moment and turned it into an opportunity to recenter and focus on herself. As she told Forbes, following November 2016, she took time off to relax and reconnect with herself before returning to work.

Kwan soon became involved with a handful of non-profit organizations, including the Special Olympics and the Women's Sports Federation. She admitted to the publication that, while she enjoyed those roles, she found herself mulling future opportunities, noting that she definitely planned to work again in politics, as many of her colleagues from the campaign trail already had new jobs in Washington, D.C. Unsurprisingly, Kwan became involved with another presidential campaign, working as a surrogate for Joe Biden in 2020.

When Michelle Kwan's father first moved to the United States, he wasn't always treated well. Speaking to People about this matter, Kwan described the icy welcome that her father received upon moving to the place known to many as a nation of immigrants. Strangers would refer to Kwan's father using racial slurs, and random passersby would yell at him to "Go back where you came from." According to Kwan, "Some [experiences] were tough to talk about [and] really hard and awful to hear sometimes."

In an effort to combat racism and inequality, Kwan decided to host "Recipe for Change." The 2021 television special was organized by Jubilee on YouTube and featured a number of famous chefs, athletes, and celebrities, all of whom were excited to celebrate cultures from Asia and the Pacific Islands. The idea was to share recipes as a way to facilitate a combination of storytelling and cultural exchange. In the same conversation with People, Kwan grew thoughtful about the way a society can fight against issues of prejudice and racism. "How do we address these issues? How do we talk about it? First, it's through food, because food is always a great way to bring people together," she shared 

Michelle Kwan's decision to work on Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign paid off for her in a major way. Not only did her candidate of choice soundly win the election, but he nominated her for a major role. 

In December 2021, President Biden revealed his nominations for ambassadors, and Kwan was among them as the U.S. Ambassador to Belize. Kwan tweeted her feelings about the nomination, writing, "I am honored to be nominated by President Biden to serve as ambassador to Belize, and if confirmed, I will be very proud to serve my country."

In September 2022, Kwan was officially confirmed as the United States Ambassador to Belize by the Senate. "Belize is full of incredible history and culture, and has been a tremendous partner to the United States," the Olympian-turned-politician said (via CNN). "I look forward to working with the Belizean government on economic issues, to put an end to this pandemic, and to address the root causes of migration." Her term ended in January 2025.

In January 2022, Michelle Kwan surprised many by revealing she had become a mother for the first time at the age of 41 to baby Kalista Belle Kwan. Kwan had never told anyone publicly that she was expecting a baby or trying to become pregnant, but explained that her own private nature was part of the reason why. As Kwan wrote on Instagram, "As people closest to me know, I'm always full of surprises and tend to keep my personal life private. And, I've wanted to share this happy news for many months but each milestone seemed to be exciting and daunting at the same time."

Kwan also admitted that, like many women, she struggled to become pregnant and to deliver her child. At the conclusion of her post, Kwan noted that she was rooting for any woman experiencing infertility struggles, writing, "I want to send my best to all the mom[s] out there ... And, I wish anyone trying to conceive in any which way (ivf, iui, surrogacy, adoption and naturally) all the success and love." 

While Kwan didn't share much about her own journey to parenthood, she shared just enough to show her excitement while demonstrating profound empathy for other women who have struggled to conceive in any way.

While Michelle Kwan's adult life has been full of success, it's also involved a number of tragedies. High among them was the 2024 death of her longtime skating coach and mentor, Frank Carroll. Kwan considered Carroll one of the most important people in her life, no thanks to his unwavering support of her personal and professional aspirations. Remembering Carroll in the caption of an Instagram slideshow of his best moments, Kwan wrote, "Frank was everything I could have hoped for in a coach and more — a rock-solid supporter (seriously, he never missed a lesson!), a fountain of knowledge (on and off the ice), and a dear friend."

One of the things Kwan most admired about Carroll was his ability to deal with obstacles. If a skater was struggling to pick up a new skill, Carroll would not resort to shaming tactics. Instead, he would try to keep things lighthearted so that nobody would feel bad. As Kwan wrote in the aforementioned Instagram caption, "Frank's sense of humor was a gift, especially on those tough lesson days when things just wouldn't click. His parting words, 'I've done my duty for God and my country,' followed by a dramatic exit as he skated away, never failed to make us all laugh." The skater went on to express her most sincere feelings toward the late coach in a heartbreaking message. "Love you," she wrote.

After the birth of her first daughter, Kalista Belle Kwan, in 2022, Michelle Kwan hoped to expand her family once again. In December 2025, she welcomed a second daughter named Della Rose Kwan. Della Rose's birth transformed the Kwan family completely and fully, allowing Kalista to become a big sister. As the proud mama would later put in the caption of an Instagram post, "My heart doubled in an instant the moment I held her [Della Rose] in my arms, and watching my daughter [Kalista] walk into the hospital to meet her baby sister brought tears to my eyes."

Because Kwan is known as one of the top athletes of her generation, it would be easy to assume that she just sailed through her pregnancy. However, in the caption of the same Instagram post, Kwan alluded to the intense physical challenges of carrying her daughters. "As an Olympian, I've pushed my body to its limits and been amazed by its strength — but carrying another life has left me in even greater awe," she noted. She also gave an important nod to the 10 years of dedication that went into bringing her little family to fruition. "After more than a decade of hoping, I still can't quite believe this moment is real," she gushed. Becoming a family may not have been easy for Kwan, but greeting her two daughters was worth the wait.

Michelle Kwan may have dedicated years to becoming an Olympian, but that doesn't mean that her aspirations stopped there. The figure skating medalist also dreamed of a future off the ice, one that included kids to call her own. As Kwan wrote in the caption of an Instagram post in December 2025, "I've always dreamt of having children." Although the skater initially hoped that starting a family would be easy, she was eventually forced to confront a difficult medical reality. She would have to learn more about visiting a fertility clinic and eventually undergo fertility treatments. Reflecting on this situation in the same Instagram caption, Kwan wrote, "There were moments of frustration over how little I could control — a humbling reminder that fertility is something none of us can fully predict."

As Kwan dealt with the emotional ups and downs of this process, she was able to rely on her loved ones for support, and was thankful for their caring responses. As Kwan noted in the aforementioned Instagram caption, "I'm endlessly thankful for my love, who I'm so lucky to share my life with, my family, who I would not be here without, and the incredible doctors and support team." Although it was not always easy to deal with these fertility issues, Kwan eventually fell pregnant with a baby girl. 

Just because Michelle Kwan has increased her focus on family does not mean that ice skating is ever far from her mind. Her passion for the sport remains so strong that she hopes to share it with her two daughters, Kalista Belle and Della Rose Kwan. In 2025, Kwan took to Instagram to upload a video of Kalista tearing up the ice rink. "We officially have an ice skater! My daughter took her first 'real' steps," Kwan shared in a cute block of text that appeared over the video. The Olympian then applauded Kalista for her natural talent, noting that the little skater hit the ice at an even more precocious age than her mother. "2 years earlier than me," Kwan revealed.

The post was met with a flood of support from Kwan's fans and friends alike. Several Olympic-level skaters demonstrated their admiration for the young Kalista, with Apolo Ohno commenting a string of heart emojis and Tara Lipinski commenting a heart-eyed emoji. This outpour of support shows that Kalista may already be on the road to becoming the Olympic version of a celebrity nepo baby. It also reveals that Kwan may not harbor many reservations about her daughters getting involved in competitive sports — a posture that differs significantly from other Olympians, like athletic royal and former Olympian swimmer Princess Charlene of Monaco, who doesn't want her kids to feel pressure to compete in the Olympics.