Jan. 6 (UPI) — Michelle Kwan is a new mom.
The retired Olympic figure skater, 41, recently welcomed her first child, daughter Kalista Belle.
Kwan shared the news Wednesday on Instagram alongside a photo of her baby girl.
“I’m overjoyed and tears of happiness are streaming down my face as I share the news of the arrival of Kalista Belle Kwan!” Kwan captioned the post.
“I’ve always wanted to be a mom and, to me, she’s a perfect miracle. I had a hard time picturing what she might look like yet it seems like she’s been in my life forever,” she said.
Kwan said it was “a challenging journey to motherhood” and “a very long labor” but is happy she “never gave up.”
“I feel so grateful to have had the support of so many during this time, including my fertility doctor, doctors and nurses who looked after me, friends that shared their stories, and of course, my family & my [heart] who I could not live without,” she said.
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A post shared by Michelle Kwan (@michellewkwan)
Kwan included a time lapse video of her pregnancy, which she never publicly announced.
“As people closest to me know, I’m always full of surprises and tend to keep my personal life private,” she said. “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.”
Kwan ended her post by voicing her support for other moms and people hoping to have children.
“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 said. “You’re not alone on this path and I’m pulling for you.”
Japanese figure skater Miki Ando was among those to congratulate Kwan in the comments.
“@michellewkwan OMG!!!! It’s really amazing news,” Ando wrote. “Congratulations.”
Kwan married Coast Guard lieutenant Clay Pell in 2013. The couple filed for divorce in 2017.
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