Figure-skating champ Michelle Kwan to speak at SEMO

A world-class champion whose performances have been called the gold standard for future generations of figure skaters is coming to Cape Girardeau.

Olympian and world figure-skating champion Michelle Kwan will present a speech, "Aspiring to Greatness: What it Takes to Win," at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Show Me Center.

"When you bring to campus somebody of Michelle Kwan's caliber to talk about how to reach goals, it's going to be worthwhile," said Cindy Gannon, associate athletic director at Southeast Missouri State University. "I think her message will not only resonate with our student-athletes, but also the student population as a whole."

Kwan's speech will detail the planning and practice it took for her to become a champion in the figure-skating world. It will emphasize that the top finishers are not always the ones who come in first, but are instead the ones with the courage and determination to get up when they fall. Kwan also is expected to talk about how staying focused on a mission can put anyone on the path to success.

Dr. Debbie Below, vice president for enrollment management and student success at Southeast, said Kwan is an inspiration to college students.

"She has a valuable life story," Below said. "We're going to hear about what it takes to stay focused on the end goal."

Below added she hopes Kwan's message will inspire Southeast students to achieve their goals.

"We want students at Southeast to focus on getting their degrees," she said. "It will open so many doors for them."

The Southeast Missourian is a sponsor of the event.

Born in 1980, Kwan began training for figure skating when she was 8 years old. Her drive led to her win in the 1994 World Junior Championships. From 1995 to 2005, Kwan won an unprecedented 43 skating titles, including five World Championships, nine U.S. National Championships and two Olympic medals. She was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame and the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2012.

Kwan's off-the-ice achievements have been equally impressive. In 2006, she was named a public-diplomacy envoy by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a position she continues to hold in the Obama Administration. In 2008, she graduated from the University of Denver with a bachelor's degree in international studies and in 2011 earned her master's degree in international relations from Tufts University. Kwan also has written two books, "The Winning Attitude!" and "My Special Moments."

Kwan's speech marks the fifth installment of the 2012-2013 University Speakers Series. The final speaker in the series will be animal and nature conservationist Jeff Corwin on April 10.

Tickets for university students, faculty and staff are free with a valid Redhawks ID in rooms 202 and 204 of the University Center and at the Show Me Center box office. Tickets are $10 for the general public and are available at the Show Me Center box office, at www.showmecenter.biz and by calling 651-5000.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.