Clara Huges, born 1972 in Manitoba, Canada, has represented Canada in four Olympic games since 1996. Both a cyclist and a speed skater, Clara was the first and only Canadian Olympic competitor to win medals in both the Winter and Summer Olympics. This also makes her the fourth athlete to achieve this in all of Olympic history.

Because of her extraordinary talent and merit, she has also received numerous awards, such as:http://www.clara-hughes.com/about-clara/

• Officer - Order Of Canada
• Member - Order Of Manitoba
• Honorary Doctorate of Law, University of Manitoba
• Sport and Community Award
• International Olympic Committee, 2006
• La Presse Sports Personality Of the Year 2006,La Presse Newspaper, Montreal, Quebec
• Number 1 Sports Hero, by Jack Todd, The Montreal Gazette

Recently announced, Clara Hughes has been chosen to bear the Canadian Flag at the opening ceremonies for the Vancouver Olympics on Feb. 12. This will be her fifth Olympics, and her first with this honor. http://sports.espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2010/news/story?id=4870834

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Clara Hughes began her career representing Canada in the Olympic women's cycling events. Here she captured two bronze medals. One in the individual road race, and one in the individual time trials. She revisited those two events, without earning a medal in either of them in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/hu/clara-hughes-1.html

Her first appearance in the Winter Olympic games was at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. This time competing in the [Olympic Speed Skating Women's 3000m|3000]] and 5000 meter women's speed skating category. This year Clara Hughes won a bronze medal in the 5000 meter yet again taking home a medal for Canada.

Her first gold medal was at the 2006 Torino Olympics. She won the gold in the 5000 meter women's speed skating event, and also held the world record for this event that year. This was also the year Clara Hughes received her first silver medal in the Women Team Pursuit event.