Surprise! Figure skater Michelle Kwan has announced the arrival of her first child! The Olympian managed to keep her entire pregnancy a secret. “As people closest to me know, I’m always full of surprises and tend to keep my personal life private,” she wrote in her announcement post. “And, I’ve wanted to share this happy news for many months but each milestone seemed to be exciting and daunting at the same time. Each step of the way, I knew that there was still more time needed until I could hold her in my arms.” Michelle also posted a video that showed clips of her growing baby bump through her pregnancy.
It’s a girl! Michelle has chosen to name her daughter Kalista Belle Kwan. “I’m overjoyed and tears of happiness are streaming down my face as I share the news of the arrival of Kalista Belle Kwan!” she started her post. Kalista’s name has quite a lovely theme! Kalista is a Greek name that means “most beautiful one” and Belle is a French name that means “beauty.”
The Olympian opened up about her desire to become a mother and start a family. “I’ve always wanted to be a mom and, to me, she’s a perfect miracle. I had a hard time picturing what she might look like yet it seems like she’s been in my life forever. This has been a challenging journey to motherhood (not to mention a very long labor!!!) and I’m glad I never gave up. I feel so grateful to have had the support of so many during this time, including my fertility doctor, doctors and nurses who looked after me, friends that shared their stories, and of course, my family & my ❤️ who I could not live without.”
She ended her announcement by sharing a touching message to others hoping to start their own family. “Also, I want to send my best to all the mom’s out there (as we all know, moms rule the world!). And, I wish anyone trying to conceive in any which way (IVF, IUI, surrogacy, adoption, and naturally) all the success and love. You’re not alone on this path and I’m pulling for you.”
Congratulations to Michelle on welcoming baby Kalista into the world! We wish her all the best as she embraces her new role as a mom.
Kate Fann (she/her) is the BabyNames.com celebrity blogger, as well as an established content writer, aspiring author, and social media expert. She has been featured in online publications such as Bolde, ManoByte, Medium, The Social Observer, and more. Kate has ghostwritten numerous romance novels and is currently working on publishing her own works in the Young Adult genre.
Kate lives in East Tennessee with her husband Casey and her two sons, Quinn and Noah. When she's not writing or scrolling Instagram, Kate can be found tasting delicious wines, playing with make-up, baking yummy treats, or hiking the beautiful Smoky Mountains.
