Michelle Kwan’s favorite early Christmas present this year? It’s a little girl, gift-wrapped in a hospital blanket and ready to meet Santa.
The Olympian and former ambassador to Belize just welcomed her second child, Della Rose Kwan, according to a Thursday post on social media.
“My heart doubled in an instant the moment I held her in my arms, and watching my daughter walk into the hospital to meet her baby sister brought tears to my eyes,” the Torrance native wrote on Instagram, captioning a photo of her holding baby Della in the hospital, then talking about her first child, who was born in early 2021.
“I’ve always dreamt of having children, and when Kalista came into the world, I was already beyond grateful for a miracle that once felt impossible after years of trying.”
The 45-year-old is a five-time world champion, nine-time U.S. champion and two-time Olympic medalist, winning a silver and a bronze for figure skating in the 1998 and 2002 Winter Games, respectively. She was an ambassador from 2022 to 2025, during the Biden administration.
Kwan posted additional pictures showing herself and Kalista eating ice cream on the couch in matching Christmas pajamas when mom was still pregnant, an ornament on the Christmas tree holding a photo of the family of three and a short time-lapse video of herself in a black bodysuit showing her midsection growing until she finally holds baby Della in her arms.
Writing that “[g]etting here again has been its own rollercoaster,” she thanked all those who helped “this miracle” to happen. Included in her appreciation was “my love, who I’m so lucky to share my life with,” though she didn’t share that person’s identity.
Kwan was married to attorney and politician Clay Pell from 2013 to 2017.
“After more than a decade of hoping, I still can’t quite believe this moment is real,” she wrote.
“As an Olympian, I’ve pushed my body to its limits and been amazed by its strength — but carrying another life has left me in even greater awe. There were moments of frustration over how little I could control — a humbling reminder that fertility is something none of us can fully predict.”
Kwan then offered well wishes to anyone else dealing with infertility or praying to have children.
“I know what you’re going through,” she said, “and I’m hoping you feel loved and supported in every way as you navigate this journey.”
The tone of the missive is par for the course for Kwan, who explained her approach to life during her competitive years to The Times in early 2020.
“You hope that you made an impression and an imprint, a positive impact on people,” she said at the time, talking about her skating career. “I kind of expressed the journey that I was on, whether it was a good journey or an emotional journey or a sad one, I was never afraid to emote. I feel like the people who partook in that journey experienced a lot of emotional moments during those 20 years with me, and looking back, I was a part of their lives.”
Looks like she’s starting on yet another new journey now.