When it came to figure skating, Olympic silver medalist Michelle Kwan dreamed big. But what about her Washington career? She’s currently at the State Department, while working with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition and the Special Olympics, too. Would she ever want to be secretary of state?
“Never really think about that,” she replied to Yeas & Nays, guffawing so hard that she practically choked at the thought.
Kwan is one of those “Washington celebrities” that can duck in and out of public life, appearing with the president one day and then going to happy hours almost anonymously the next. (She names Logan Circle’s Churchkey and Foggy Bottom’s Circa as favorite watering holes.)
“All my friends are sort of sprinkled here–CIA, FBI, World Bank–so it’s nice to be here and have my friends around,” Kwan said of D.C.
On Wednesday, she was back to being a public figure, helping the Department of Education kick off its summer reading program, “Let’s Read, Let’s Move,” now in its fifth year. Sitting next to White House chef and Senior Policy Advisor on Nutrition Sam Kass, Kwan read aloud “Can I Play Too?” and then answered questions from the kids.
“I usually get this question, I didn’t get it today, but a lot of kids ask, ‘do you get dizzy when you spin?’” she told Yeas & Nays afterward. “And sometimes I do,” she added.
Wednesday’s questions were mostly compliments and softballs, except for one.
“Does the president eat candy?” a youngster offered. “That’s a tough one, it’s normally top secret information,” Kass laughed. “The president actually does not eat a lot of candy, but a little candy’s OK as long as you’re eating a lot of fruit and a lot of vegetables–deal?”
