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Michelle Kwan trades her skates for Washington

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    Former Olympic athlete on new chapter of her life

  • Duration 3:35
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What the Olympics now in full when we want to tell you about one of America's greatest athletes that we first -- in today.

She's building a life after the Olympics and she's doing it and Washington here is our power player of the.

My -- getting as fantastic.

It's one adventure after another.

Michel one of the most decorated figure skater in American history.

For decades -- -- -- around competitions.

National -- way than.

March we'll change has Olympics -- that -- senate it was very planned out since seven years old all the way to -- to 25 years old that's what I did that's that that was my schedule.

But three years ago while training for another Olympics she chose a different passion.

She went to graduate school to get her master's degree in international relations.

It was so scheduled and then to actually wake up and say well what I have to do today what took -- it's sort of that identity trying to figure out.

Who you are.

-- started down this path in 2006.

When she attended a White House event and made an offhand remark.

The secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.

I -- if there's anything that I could do with the State Department please let me now.

And a few months later I was appointed -- -- -- young boy I know that you're going to play an important and valuable role.

Foreign nations since then Kwan has traveled the world engaged in soft power.

Meeting -- government leaders and young people and trying to make connections.

Perhaps when they going to their government -- when they go into -- business they have a different impression.

Of America.

She is just as driven than she was on the skating rink.

-- now a member of the president's council on fitness and deeply involved in the Special Olympics.

All of these things are -- paid for Iraq.

How do you support -- -- I've been very very fortunate and my skating prayer -- -- for fourteen -- and and financially I'm I'm.

Okay.

Since last summer Kwan has been living here in Washington almost totally under the radar.

But she finds BC just as exciting as skating.

Now just being here in Washington and being surrounded by people -- want to make a difference and think tanks nonprofit government.

Is just so inspiring.

At age 32 Michelle Kwan is remarkably well adjusted.

While she won nine national championships and five world.

The best she could do at the Olympics was a silver and a bronze to the two defeats in the Olympics still -- I mean it's there wasn't exactly the Colin shadows looking for but hey sometimes.

It can't be perfect the.

But -- got the feeling the best is yet to come.

And -- -- -- I felt.

In some -- is that I was selfish.

And I coaches -- all helping me.

Now I sort of approach life differently -- I'm trying.

To help others and I also see it as just an attacker can in my book and -- although it's.

My skating career is only one track Karen I'm -- turning the page to the next chapter.

Michelle Kwan says she may run for office on day after all she spent years on the ice -- nine judges watching every move he made.

Facing voters -- that's wouldn't be all that different.

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