About Michelle

I have been a fan of Michelle since I first saw her skate in 1993. However, she became my favorite skater when I saw her compete in the 1994 Nationals. She is not my favorite only because of her outstanding athletic and artistic ability, but for the person that she is, which is shown in one of her favorite quotes: ""Work hard, be yourself, have fun!"

Personal Info

Full Name : Michelle Wing Kwan
Nick Name: Shelly
Birthdate: July 7, 1980
Hometown: Torrance, California
Family: Married (Jan 19, 2013) to Clay Pell (Engaged, Sept 2012)
Danny (Dad), Estella (Mom), Ron (Brother), Karen (Sister).
Coaches: Frank Carroll '92-'02; Scott Williams '02-'03; Rafael Arutunian '03-'06
Choreographers:
Lori Nichol, Sarah Kawahara, Christopher Dean, Peter Oppegard, Brian Wright, Philip Mills, Nikolai Morozov, Tatiana Tarasova, Karen Kwan, and Michelle
Agent: Shep Goldberg, Proper Marketing Associates
Home Club: Los Angeles FSC
Training Rink & Town: East West Ice Palace in Artesia, California
Past seasons:
Ice Castle's International in Lake Arrowhead, California
Healthsouth in El Segundo, California
College: UCLA (1999), University of Denver (2006-2009, graduated June 7, 2009 with bachelor's degree in International Studies and a minor in Political Science), Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (2009-2011, graduated in May, 2011 with master's degree in International Relations)
Employment: Senior adviser for public diplomacy and public affairs

Fun Facts

Michelle always wore a good luck necklace that her grandmother gave her, until the chain broke.

Michelle finished 11th grade with a 3.8 GPA and 12th grade with a 3.9 GPA, for a cumulative high school GPA of 3.61.

She had to go behind her coach, Frank Carroll's back in order to move up to the senior level.

Michelle had a pet squirrel when she was younger

Her sister, Karen, also skated competitively at the elite level, finishing 6th at Nationals in '97

When she first lived at Ice Castle, she lived in the cabin called, "Debi Thomas' Teepee."