Bonnie Blair

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One of the top female skaters of her time and among the most decorated female athletes in Olympic history, Bonnie Blair is undoubtedly a true champion.  Competing in four Olympic Games, she was the first American woman to win gold medals at two consecutive Winter Olympics and the first American to win five gold medals in Winter Olympic Games. 

She was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004 and at that time, was still the most successful American athlete in the history of Olympic competition.  Now retired from skating, Blair devotes her time to her charismatic and inspiring motivational presentations to audiences across the globe as well as to a variety of charities that she organizes through the Bonnie Blair Charitable Fund.

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ABOUT Bonnie Blair   (+/-)

First to Win Five Gold Medals

Bonnie Blair began skating when she was just two years old, following in the footsteps of her five older brothers and sisters.  Blair appeared at her first Olympic games in Sarajevo in 1984, where she failed to medal, but went on to win three gold medals and one bronze in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics.  In the 1994 Winter Olympics, Blair won gold again in the 500 meter and 1000 meter races, in dominating fashion. She finished 0.36 seconds ahead of the second best time in the 500 meters, and her 1.38 second margin in the 1000 meters race is the largest margin of victory in the history of the event. In the process, she became the first American woman to win five gold medals. 

Multiple-Award Winner, Model Sportswoman

Throughout her career, Blair has won several prestigious awards in addition to her Olympic medals.  She is the recipient of the 1992 James E. Sullivan Award, the 1992 Oscar Mathisen Award (being the first female winner of this award), the 1992 ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year, and Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1994. She also was "Female Athlete of the Year" as selected by the Associated Press in 1994. Blair won the World Cup points championship 11 times.  In 2004, she was elected to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.   As of her induction, Blair is the most decorated United States winter Olympian of all time.

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A Winning Edge

Olympic champion Bonnie Blair shares with audiences the crossroads that she's faced during her lifetime, the sacrifices made, and the victories that can only be measured in the heart. Filled with colorful anecdotes drawn from her life and career, Blair offers practical strategies and useful tools on achieving a productive balance in life.

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