The moments on this Ride have been some of the most memorable of my life.. However, that time is still the Canadian record. They intend to return to the trail in February and eventually complete the 3,746-kilometre trek that traverses 14 U.S. states. When we witness the devastation from the extraction industry all over this country, I think its important that the more people can be outside, they can feel closer to the natural side. When Hughes rode through British Columbia, she was aghast at the level of destruction from deforestation and the forest fires. Hughes won two bronze in the 1996 Summer Olympics and four medals (one gold, one silver, two bronze) over the course of three Winter Olympics. I speak to a sports psychologist or my husband. "He changed my life. It's only good enough to be the best that I can be and better than I ever have been. Guzman also showed her the world was bigger than the limited cycle-oriented world she'd carved out for herself. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Get the digital edition of Canadian Cycling Magazine. On January 16, 2012, The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announced Hughes as one of twenty women selected to the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity list (MIW) for 2011. Olympian, author, and all-round adventurer Clara Hughes has seen her fair share of wet, windy and challenging nights. And she's experienced them all exposed to the elements from the seat of her bicycle. I wouldnt say I was suicidal, but I did have moments when I felt I didnt want to be here anymore. Im glad to see people making a deeper connection to the natural world. Then we could get snow in the Rockies. As for the Prairies? I just had a very strong sense of whatever I wanted to do at the time. Clara and Peter hiked for a week in the Torngat Mountains last summer, and then spent time with myself and the other youth in the 2013 kANGIDLUASUk Student Program. I would run away from home for the weekend. Michael D. Reid Jun 12, 2014 6:15 PM. He taught her how to train herself, giving her the tools to understand how much she needed to push herself and when it was enough. Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 48 years old? On June 14, 2016, Hughes was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Victoria. I went through a lot and was just crying, crying, crying in his office and getting a lot of stuff out. She was named Female Athlete of the Year by Speed Skating Canada in 2004 for long track. [18] In June 2012, she was selected to become part of Canada's 2012 London Olympics team, as one of four in cycling, with two other women and a man. I am so grateful to be healthy though.. This article will clarify Clara Hughes's In4fp, Obituary, Olympics, Public School, Park, Medals, Daycare, Book, Husband, Biography lesser-known facts, and other informations. My struggles arent completely behind me; its still always there. Many burn out. "He's helped me develop and grow as a human being and just been there as my support and the love of my life and just my best friend. "I was just, `Omigod, I want to do that. We are expecting really bad weather for much of it. The hill, which leaves downtown Dundas and heads North for 1.5 km, was made famous in 2015 when it was officially named Claras climb by the city of Dundas, in honour of Hughes. "Hughes battled deep depression, which threatened to derail her life, after winning two bronze medals in cycling at the 1996 Olympics. Since 2013, Hughes has initiated annual bike rides across Canada in order to raise awareness about mental health. But for Clara, its not enough just to give money. I got my ass kicked. And Im not the only one thinking the situation has to be better; theres a slew of care workers, doctors, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nursesof mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends. They deserved to be having fun. With her experience and endurance earned through cycling, Hughes went on to a successful career competing in the 3,000m and 5,000m. This would eventually lead her to medal in these long distance events at the Winter Olympics. So after London 2012, I figured it wouldnt be so hard. Thank you for following these guidelines and contributing your thoughts. I quit school for a bit. In 2006, she was awarded the Order of Manitoba, and in 2007, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada. Hughes uses her past struggles with depression to relate to others and to help combat issues including the stigma involved with mental health issues. [13], Hughes participated in the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics, winning two bronze medals at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, in the individual road race and the individual time trial. Hughes and her husband Peter Guzman are celebrating their 25th year of being in each others lives, and they spend as much time outside as possible. Many people say, Just get over it, but its not that easy. Clara Hughes @claraaanehughes. I think I didn't have a value system because I came from a dysfunctional family. But we have the best clothing and equipment, fantastic support from the bike industryPearl Izumi Canada, Specialized Canada, Shimano Canada. The most inspiring person I know is my husband.". She is tied with Cindy Klassen as the Canadian with the most Olympic medals, with six medals total. But its about the Canadian story that is different in every community, and I just cant wait for that story to be told. We have huge mitts on, so we wont be able to go into our pockets. He has helped me find peace with certain things and realize Im not a superperson, I cant just change myself or the world, that theres a lot of work I need to do on myself with the help of a professional. Its going to be so cool. My mom was with me. A one-hour television special chronicling her journey airs Wednesday on CTV and will also be available all day on CTV.ca and CraveTV. But she would eventually burn out and after a series of injuries quit cycling briefly, only to revive her career under coach Eric Van Den Eynde in Quebec, where she would settle in the Eastern Townships. She is involved with Right To Play, which is an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sports to encourage the development of youth in disadvantaged areas. In an RTP learning session that was held at this team training camp, Clara spoke passionately to her fellow team members: Lets do more than just put Right to Play on our jerseys. Her time of 6:55.73 became a new track record, though her time was soon beaten by Stephanie Beckert of Germany and gold medalist Martina Sblkov of the Czech Republic. Id thought I could do this alone. Its a really beautiful team environment. This isnt about me or one person. WebClara Hughes By maddie.sturgeon Timeline List 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Jul 27, 1972, Early Childhood 2006, Torino Winter Olympics 1998, Beginning of her career "What I'm seeing is we have a big problem in that the system is not there, and if it is there, it is not yet trusted for people to reach to," Hughes said. So we have a follow vehicle and well just drop back to it on our bikes and ask for a snack or whatever, and be handed bottles and unwrapped food while we ride. She would eventually return to the sport of speed skating at the age of 28, after achieving success in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. To her, it looked like Boucher was floating on the ice. I dont know who I am, but Im moving, and I feel good. This article was originally titled "You go, Clara!" Another with depression says she was told by her physician to not talk about it because people would judge her. Type in the characters you see in the picture below. She was then named to the 2006 List of Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity by the Canadian Association for Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS). After this Ride is over, well be able to say to the government, Look how much Canadians care about this issue., The day after the Ride is over, I see as similar to finishing an Olympics: All I want is to wake up with Peter, look at each other and be like, Did that actually happen? And just smile at each other and know, Yup. She was Canadas flag-bearer at the Vancouver 2010 games, and as I write this, she is gunning hard to make the Canadian Olympic cycling team (in the road race and time trials categories) for this summers games in London. Don't ask questions. For example, when Clara won a gold medal in the Turin Winter Olympics in 2006, she donated $10,000 of her personal earnings to RTPand this was before Canada was giving medal bonuses. I can give credit to the Indigenous peoples and communities who have been the original caretakers of this earth, Hughes said. But her greatest teacher, Hughes says, is her husband Peter Guzman. The objective of the list is to focus on women who are leaders and role models making a difference on the Canadian or international scene. After four years of little riding, Clara Hughes is in love with her bike again. But were going with homemade as much as we can homemade rice cakes with nuts and honey; sandwiches. On January 29, 2010, she was announced as the Canadian Flag Bearer for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Its a vicious cycle. Clara lives with her husband, Peter Guzman, and they divide their time between two homes: one in the Eastern Townships in Quebec, and the other deep in the mountains of northeast Utah. They share a passion for being surrounded by nature in the precious times they get to be together. She finished 32nd, with the peloton, in the road race at the 2012 Olympics. So I decided to go southbound on that trail and it ended up being the perfect year to go.. Klassen set a new record in the same games, winning five medals in Turin, for a total of six. No exaggeration: This saved my life [shaking her head]. Were using a holistic but science-based approach. For a few Hughes was mostly walking, using her bike mostly for commuting or getting groceries. The woman who will be unveiled Friday as the flag-bearer to lead the Canadian team into B.C. [9] After winning her gold medal in 2006, she donated $10,000 to Right to Play. She then returned to cycling, at the age of 38, to later successfully return for the 2012 London Olympics. As Im exhausting myself on the bike, Ill be re-energizing myself and clearing my mind for what were stepping into next. [23] During the games she won a bronze medal in the 5,000 metres which was also the final Olympic speed skating race of her career. Just 13, she was the ringleader of a group of hardscrabble kids who partied in the stairwells of parking garages in the dead of Winnipeg winter. And my ultimate goal is for the right proportion of our healthcare dollars to be put toward mental health issues. We recently did a bike tour of Vancouver Island and it was fantastic., A post shared by Clara Hughes (@claraannehughes), Hughes got into bikepacking when she rode from Banff to Vancouver Island with her friend. My name is attached to the Ride, but I agreed to that only because many people know who I am and feel comfortable approaching me. What makes a champion isnt how many medals are hanging around our necks. In the 2000/2001 season, Hughes made a successful comeback to speed skating, participating in the World Single Distance Championships in Salt Lake City, where she finished 11th in the 3000m. The following season, she qualified for the 2002 Winter Olympics. My mom did the best she could with my sister and I, but we basically went wild after my parents separated. It uses sport programs to improve health, develop life skills and foster peace for children and communities in disadvantaged countries.) As of 2011, these were the only three cycling medals for Canada. sisters who say they were wrongfully convicted are victims of systemic racism: lawyers, WATCH: Waves crash against seawall amid Spanish wintry storm, Celebrities announce contracting COVID after Golden Globes. Extra Old Stock. Parents tell me all the time that Im inspiring their kids, and I think thats the coolest thing on earth. The purpose of Claras Big Ride is to get people talking about mental illness and erase the stigma. And we bought a bunch of Gu Gels, and Kind bars are really good. Clara Hughes @claraaanehughes, Heres Clara Hughes giving some tips on how not to speed skate. She has the qualities of a true leader. On 6 October 2014, author Jeremy Freeborn interviewed Clara Hughes for The Canadian Encyclopedia. She has forged gold out of sheer guts, willpower and with some timely guidance along the way. But most people dont have that person to talk to. Peter does his trips just for himself. I got on this hiking rampage, walking kilometres and kilometres of trails. This is Clara Hughes third time on the CAAWS Most Influential Women List. Im lucky. The celebrated Olympian, 41, started on March 14 in Toronto and will finish on July 1 on Parliament Hill. We challenge each other, and we have a unique lifestyle, living in remote places. But back to speedskating. In 2006, although she had not been asked, she announced she would not carry the Canadian flag during the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. "He was just a drill sergeant and he was just, `Do it. On January 29, 2015, the official opening ceremony was held for a school named after Hughes. "It makes me realize I will be competitive until my grave. At 50 years old, Clara Hughes height "When I see kids that are like that now, I think, `You don't know where this can lead you. "At the time, I smoked a pack a day. Open since September 2014, the Clara Hughes Public School is located in Oshawa, Ontario. It will be a beautiful synchronicity of energies. WebSuper stoked to hand-deliver paddleboards to Clara Hughes & Peter Guzman! I dont ride my bike daily, I wish I did, but when I do I absolutely love it. Larry Weinstein says Clara Hughes, the subject of his latest film, keeps him on his toes. On April 27, 2013, the steep hill on Sydenham Road in Dundas, Ontario on which she trained for seven years was officially renamed 'Clara's Climb'. It's not about me. He's the kind of guy who will spend a whole conversation asking you questions about yourself, never talking about himself unless asked. Eric really kind of let me grow up and that was so crucial for me after having been told what to do for so long.". A legend, she won multiple Olympic medals in both Summer and Hughes won two bronze in WebPeter Guzman. The kids we help through RTP, they get a sparkle in their eyes, a light, and its what happened to me when I saw Boucher. But my dad was also an alcoholic. We couldnt be more opposite. Skip to main content.us. I am still Share on LinkedIn. Although in this clip shes doing a hilarious demonstration about skating, the former multiple national champion is very much into cycling again. (Clara says in the past five years, she has spent no more than three weeks at a time in one place.). It was hard growing up with an alcoholic father. And I just didn't care. At those Olympics, she won her first gold medal in the 5000m and a silver medal in the team pursuit as part of the Canadian team. With the pandemic still looming, she plays things day by day in terms of her new adventures, as well as listening to nature as to how she will plan her next trip, given some of the unpredictable weather all over the world. Clara Hughes's net worth It's been almost seven months since the 42-year-old from Winnipeg concluded her epic ride on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Peter and I used them for training all winter. At the ceremony, Hughes said, "It is without exception the greatest honour that I have in my life, to have my name here."[41]. [36], On November 15, 2010, Hughes was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.[37]. But the problem is that organizations have to scrap it out for so little funding. [16][17] In May 2011, she took first in the Tour of the Gila, winning two stages. I want to see them given the best tools and support so they can do their job at its highest level and then go home and feel, I love my work. Theres a lot of good stuff happening, and actually this Ride is bringing organizations together like never before. There was a feature on legendary speed skater Gaetan Boucher, winner of two gold and a bronze at the '84 Sarajevo Games, who was about to take his last shot at the podium in the men's 1,500 metres. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. On January 29, 2010, she was announced as the Canadian Flag Bearer for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Gold medal speed skater Clara Hughes is an inspired choice as the flag-bearer to lead the Canadian Olympic team after being able to transform her life with the help of sports. Clara Hughes was in charge of buying the beer. Okay, here goes: The 39-year-old speed skater and cyclist, Hughes husband of 18 years, Peter Guzman, is doing the entire Ride with her, and Hughes has lined up three close cyclist friends who, one at a time, will join them The ride I did with my friend Leslie, from Banff, we proudly did not pay for camping once. Hughes, an 18-time Canadian national cycling champion, won the silver medal at the 1995 World Cycling Championships (time trial). Tom Ford December 14, 2016. With a headwind, youre on your bike, going as hard as you canand that grain elevator you saw ahead in the distance four hours ago? There would be an intervention, albeit not of the typical variety. Eventually, the desire to be a great speed skater outstripped anything else. So after the London Olympics in 2012, I realized I finally had the time I wanted. Clara Hughes has not been divorced. Inspired by Joey Cheek, who donated his gold medal bonus to Right to Play, Hughes donated $10,000 of her own money to Right to Play after her 2006 gold medal win in the 5000m.[22] (Canada did not give out medal bonuses at the time). I was like `I'm going to do that.' Please be advised: And then his dementia began. (The 12,000 kilometres is distance she is covering by bike; there are sections she and the team are to fly over, such as from Yellowknife to Inuvik.). They met through a mutual friend in 1996. The Dempster Highway is dirt and it should be frozen; were going to be riding the 800 kilometres on studded tires. WebHughes touched down in towns in Labrador, Nunavut and Northwest Territories before embarking on the toughest cycling leg of the journey. Hes American and now also a proud Canadian. I love my dad and he inspires me; he had really beautiful traits like his sense of benevolence and his support and passion for the arts, and they absolutely live through me. We will not publish: Comments written that are poorly spelled; or are written in caps; or which use strange formatting to get noticed. Learn How rich is She in this year and how She spends money? Her competitive spirit is hers alone, though, and will be one of the qualities that should serve Canada well in its new flag-bearer. So many people have these medals, and all they do is show them off to people. A post shared by Clara Hughes (@claraannehughes). Clara: [She shrugs and looks a bit surprised.] CALGARY -- Clara Hughes rode her bike 11,000 kilometres for 110 days around Canada to get people talking about mental illness. Peter has had so many influences on me, Hughes said. She sometimes rode 200 kilometres in a day. She participated in 235 events in 105 communities. What am I saying or doing? So one day I was at home watching TV, flipping channels, and I saw Gaetan Boucher skating. I just think that we really, really need to take a hard look at what were doing. Well have a full-time therapist to keep us moving, and a doctor on call. No way. Just 13, she was the ringleader of a group of hardscrabble kids who partied in the stairwells of parking garages in the dead of Feeling just heavy. Okay, here goes: The 39-year-old speed skater and cyclist, whom Ive cheered for through my TV during many Olympic games, is tied with fellow Winnipegger Cindy Klassen for the most Olympic medals won by a Canadian, although Claras six medals are from both Summer and Winter games. Corporate Canada is covering the Ride expenses, and Hughes is donating her time for it. A six-time Olympic medalist in cycling and speed skating; shes the only athlete in history to win multiple medals in both Summer and Winter Games. Bonnie: When did your struggles with depression start?Clara: After the 1996 Olympics, I suffered two years of depression. Shes back on the bike with her eyes firmly set on London 2012. He had wanted to kill himself. She participated at the 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003 Pan American Games and won eight Pan American Games medals. Bonnie: Did you ever consider suicide?Clara: I have friends who tried it and failed. And at the halfway mark of Claras Big Ride, approximately 50,000 people had attended events, We checked in with Hughes about halfway through the Ride about how she is feeling. This brought her career medals total to six, tying teammate Cindy Klassen as the Canadian athlete with the most medals. So I am part of a collective push that is happening. It's exciting. A four-time participant of the women's Tour de France, Hughes has won the 1994 Women's Challenge and the 1997 Liberty Classic. [4] As of 2011, these were the only three cycling medals for Canada.[4]. Not enough? Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy | Accessibility. In an interview on CBC Radio show Definitely Not the Opera,[10] Hughes reveals that as a youth, she smoked cigarettes, drank a lot at a young age and did a lot of drugs, admitting she did not envision herself as an athlete. But it took a bit of convincing; Peter is very private. is her 'greatest honour', Olympic champions in women's 5000 m speed skating, World champions in women's 5000 m speed skating, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clara_Hughes&oldid=1134275090, Speed skaters at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Speed skaters at the 2006 Winter Olympics, Speed skaters at the 2010 Winter Olympics, Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Canada, Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Canada, Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada, Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada, Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada, Pages using Template:Post-nominals with missing parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 21:31. At the 2011 Pan American Championships, Hughes won the individual time trial and road race, both by a big margin. "Hughes battled deep depression, which threatened to derail her life, after winning two bronze medals in cycling at the 1996 Olympics."