Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan recently visited the fourth-graders at George J. Peters Elementary School to read and speak to them about her life as an Olympic skater and beyond.

As she spoke to the two classes, she continuously encouraged the students to have goals and to work hard to reach those goals.

“I skated for 20 years, I won 43 championships in those 20 years, but when I started skating, I needed a walker to learn how, and my first lesson was how to fall, because you are always going to fall. The important thing is that you have to know how to get back up,” Kwan said. “It’s important to learn from your mistakes.”

Kwan asked the students what their favorite school subjects were and what sports they played, listening to each answer she received. When one student said that he enjoyed history, Kwan said that she too had a love for history, given that her parents were immigrants to the United States and shared a rich history and culture because of their personal history.

“It’s so important that we listen to our parents and our grandparents when they share their stories with us. Our families all have history in them,” she said.

Kwan spoke to the students about the hard work that is involved in pursuing any dream, but specifically for her, as a competitive figure skater.

“Sports has many benefits. It’s good for your body, you work hard to stay healthy. You eat well, because your body is like a car, like a machine needing fuel, and if you don’t make good food choices, your body can’t work as hard. I could skate better when I ate better,” Kwan said.

Kwan told the two classes that she first started skating at 5 years old, alongside her older siblings, a sister and a brother.

“I remember being 8 years old, watching the Olympics and watching Brian Boitano winning the Olympics, and that’s when I knew I wanted to go to the Olympics,” she said. “I put a sticker near my bed and every day when I woke up I saw that sticker and every day when I went to bed I saw that sticker. I knew that if I wanted this, I’d have to work very hard. Some nights I slept in my skating clothes so that I could sleep a little longer. I’d have to get up to be on the ice at 5 a.m.”

Kwan asked the students what some of their own dreams were and listened as they shared their dreams of being firefighters, lawyers and playing professional football.

“To pursue your dreams you need a good education. Every day counts. You need to be organized and prepare yourself, and that will put you on the path to success,” she said. “Life isn’t always smooth sailing though. It’s not always easy, and sometimes things get in your way. You will come across a hurdle. It might be a family issue or an issue with homework and grades, but it only means you just have to work harder. Reach for what you want in life because there is no dream too big.”

Kwan said that although she is a retired Olympic skater now, she still loves to skate.

“I love figure skating. I like going fast. I like jumping. I have skated for 20 years and I still love it. It’s important for you to find the things in your life that you are passionate about, too,” she said.

When asked about whether or not she was nervous before her competitions, Kwan was honest with the students.

“It’s kind of like when you play in a baseball game. You get up to bat, your heart is pounding, but you have to focus. You know your game, you know you’ve worked hard and you’re ready. You have to be confident,” she said. “Confidence is the kind of thing some people are born with and some people are not. I had to work very hard and I knew my programs, so when I got up there, it was like hitting play on a CD. It’s similar to taking an exam. You do your homework, you study hard, you do everything you can to be prepared.”

She quoted one student’s work that she had seen as she walked around one of the fourth grade classrooms.

“Peter said, ‘Failing to prepare is like preparing to fail,’ and Peter is right,” she said. “If you don’t prepare well, you won’t do well.”

Kwan told the students that even though she was an Olympic medalist, she still considers her education to be highly important and emphasized that she did not stop her schooling just because of her success in sports.

“I have my undergraduate degree from the University of Denver and my master’s degree in foreign policy and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law,” she said.

She told the students that when she was in school, she found that it was easier for her to think ahead the night before as to what she needed for the next day.

“I found that when I was in school and I was skating, it was helpful for me to write things down, and to think in the evenings what I needed for tomorrow. That is something that might be helpful for you, too,” she said.

Kwan brought with her a DVD presentation that showed the students a synopsis of her life from age 12, when she first won a national championship, to age 17, when she entered her first Olympics, and all that went with it. The DVD focused on her successes, but also showed the students a humorous side to things like how hard it is to choose costumes and music for an event.

As part of her visit to the school, Kwan read “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein.

Before leaving, she took photos with each class and autographed some pictures for them. She reminded them of her personal philosophies and advice for success in life.

“Set your goals, write them down,” she said. “Don’t quit, always learn from your mistakes and when you fall, always get back up again.”