Olympic Figure Skater Michelle Kwan Reveals She Secretly Welcomed Her First Child (PHOTO)
Surprise! Michelle Kwan announced on social media that she secretly welcomed her first child, a little girl named Kalista Belle Kwan.
The 41-year-old Olympic figure skater shared a series of snaps via Instagram on Wednesday (Dec. 5) showing off the newborn. She also shared a short clip of her baby bump throughout her pregnancy.
"I'm overjoyed and tears of happiness are streaming down my face as I share the news of the arrival of Kalista Belle Kwan!" she captioned an adorable pic of her child's face. "I've always wanted to be a mom and, to me, she's a perfect miracle."
The California native noted she had a "hard time picturing" what her bundle of joy would look like, "yet it seems like she's been in my life forever."
Kwan added that her "journey to motherhood" was difficult and included "a very long labor," she is glad she "never gave up" on the prospect of having a child.
"I feel so grateful to have had the support of so many during this time, including doctors and nurses who looked after me, friends that shared their stories, and of course, my family & my [love] who I could not live without," Kwan added.
The Ice Princess star explained why she kept her pregnancy a secret, saying, "As people closest to me know, I'm always full of surprises and tend to keep my personal life private. And, I've wanted to share this happy news for many months but each milestone seemed to be exciting and daunting at the same time. Each step of the way, I knew that there was still more time needed until I could hold her in my arms."
The athlete, who retired from figure skating in 2006, ended her sweet post with some encouraging words for fellow moms. "Also, I want to send my best to all the mom's out there (as we all know, moms rule the world!). And, I wish anyone trying to conceive in any which way (ivf, iui, surrogacy, adoption and naturally) all the success and love," she wrote. "You're not alone on this path and I'm pulling for you."
Her famous pals gushed over her announcement. Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar commented, "Omg, so happy for you. I know how you’ve longed for this moment. She’s perfect," while former FLOTUS Hillary Clinton wrote: "Joyous news. Congratulations!"
The silver medalist at the 1998 Olympic Games was previously married to Coast Guard Lieutenant Clay Pell from 2003 to 2017.