Hughes, who is well known for her charity work, plans to donate her $10,000 prize winnings to a local charity, Take a Hike Foundation reports CP. The charity takes disadvantaged youths on wilderness adventures. Speaking at a press conference Thursday, Hughes said that she was deeply touched by the poverty she saw in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and didn’t want to leave town without contributing hope to its poorest residents. Then Hughes quipped that she “didn’t come to Vancouver just to skate in circles.” – read the full article here.
Hughes also announced her retirement which has been planned for a while. She wanted to leave the sport with a final appearance on home ice in Vancouver. A pro bike rider in the summer for the Specialized Mazda Samson Team, it’s not clear if she’s also hanging up the bike. We reached Gerard Penarroya, the manager of the Montreal-based Specialized Mazda Samson women’s cycling team at his Pen-Castel restaurant in Montreal. Penarroya said that he was very happy for Hughes, but that he understood she was only retiring from professional skating, and not from cycling and is waiting for confirmation of this.
On Saturday, Feb. 27, Clara Hughes and other members of Speed Skating Canada will be honoured as part of ICON’s “Playground of the Future” at the Richmond Olympic Oval pavilion. Over 60 Olympic and Paralympic heroes have participated in the autograph signing sessions that began on Feb. 12 – read more here.
Two weeks ago, the Quebec town of Sutton, where Hughes resides, decided to rename a local street after the 37-year-old athlete.
