Olympic figure skater Michelle Wing Kwan (1980–) was born in Torrance, California, the daughter of Chinese immigrants. At five, she laced up rental skates, fueled by Nerds candy and dreams.

Her family’s sacrifice—mortgaging their home for lessons—taught her that hard work could turn dreams into gold. And it nearly did. She dazzled with grace, winning more perfect 6.0 scores than any woman in history.

Kwan earned five world titles, eight national championships, and the silver medal at the 1998 Olympics. “I didn’t lose the gold medal,” she reflected. “I won the silver.”

Driven and humble, she once said she wanted to be “the Michael Jordan of my sport.” But she already was: elegant, grounded, tireless in her pursuit of excellence.

“You always keep going,” she said. “What you give is what you get back.”