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Ice Skater Michelle Kwan Glides into New Role
World champion figure skater Michelle Kwan recently returned from Hong Kong and China where she represented her country in a whole new way. As the first-ever Public Diplomacy Envoy for the United States, Michelle met with young people and talked about the importance of education, health, and diversity.
Michelle, who was appointed by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, is uniquely suited to the job of envoy. The five-time world champion says in some ways she has already been one, representing the U.S. in international competitions since she was 14 years old. Her goal? Michelle says she looks forward to sharing her experience, her story and the lessons that she has learned in competition. Those lessons include the value of dedication, the need to set goals, and the importance of teamwork.
Michelle is the perfect fit for her first mission to China. Her parents are Chinese immigrants and she speaks Cantonese, a Chinese dialect. Michelle dined with President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2006.
In her weeklong visit to China, Michelle traveled to Beijing and Hong Kong where she talked to young people in schools. Why did the U.S. send a figure skater and not a traditional diplomat? American officials hoped that a star athlete would connect with young people around the world. Sports, they say, can often overcome differences of race or religion in ways that traditional diplomacy cannot.
I'm Lucy and that's what happened in sports this week.
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