Michelle Kwan Opens Up About Body Image 'Pressure' She Felt As a Young Figure Skater

[jenniferlyon]

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-...e-kwan-body-image-young-figure-skater-weight/

"I was a teenager and going through puberty very publicly, it was tough," Kwan, 37, tells Cosmopolitan.com at a P&G event for their Thank You, Mom campaign. "You're on [magazine] covers, being interviewed, and just trying to be the best — and there's a lot of pressure that comes with that."

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Thanks so much for sharing. And kudos to Michelle Kwan too for reflecting back on her career and what the experience was like as a young pre-teen going through puberty and excelling over her peers. Wow, I have so much respect for Michelle and her parents and siblings -- especially her Mom for the way she gave important guidance and advice at a crucial moment for Michelle:

"Kwan says she was lucky to have mentors and role models of her own to help her through the glaring spotlight growing up. And, the most important person to help her through those 'isolating' times was her mom, Estella Kwan, who emigrated from Hong Kong to the U.S. with her father, Danny Kwan.

'I was improving in the sport at age 10, 11, when I was getting my triple jumps — and it was suddenly very isolating. I was doing really well in competitions and it felt strange because people that were my friends became almost jealous,' says Kwan. 'My mom was always there to lean on and give advice, like, Stay focused. These are not your real friends. You'll have friends who are supportive who will help you get to where you are supportive of one another.'"

 

[briancoogaert]

This is interesting to have her feelings about that.
I remember once she said in interview something like : "people know me as I am, I can't lie because they knew me as a young girl".
So true, you can't lie at such a young age, you can't construct an image to protect yourself.

 

[DreamSkates]

I remember, in previous years, she talked about how public everything in her life was including puberty.

 

[sonjalover]

I remember seeing Michelle when she was 13 and competing in her first Worlds,