Clara Hughes Olympic Hopeful London 2012

Bell's Let's Talk Campaign Spokesperson Feb 8

At 39, Canadian superathlete Clara Hughes has retired her speed skating blades after winning a bronze medal for the 5000m at the 2010 Winter Olympic Game, but she will cycle in London this summer. Hughes is the only Canadian athlete, and one of only four athletes to win medals in both Olympics..

Elena Malakhova reports in The Voice of Russia: "Only four athletes have ever won medals at both winter and summer Olympic Games: Eddie Eagan (United States) won two Olympic gold medals, one in 1920 in boxing tournament and 12 years later in bobsleigh. Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway) won the first Olympic ski jumping gold medal in 1924, and in 1936 he took silver as part of the Norwegian sailing team. Christa Luding-Rothenburger (East Germany) and Clara Hughes from Canada won Olympic medals in speed skating and track cycling."

Hughes won two bronze in the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics and four medals (one gold, one silver, two bronze) over the course of three Winter Olympics.

Hughes 40 at London 2012 Olympic Games

Hughes has made the decision to give up all public speaking engagements in order to use as much of her time and energy as possible for training. Hughes' website reports, "Despite the fact she will be approaching her 40th birthday during the 2012 Summer Olympics, Hughes is confident she can represent Canada's cycling team in the time trial, team pursuit or both.

She said,"I can not only take it another level, but another five levels," Hughes said. "I'm not done. I never quit. I didn't make a comeback; I'm just continuing what I've been doing for 21 years."

Hughes told Jim Lang of Sports Net in February, 2011. ""I really started thinking about this in 2007," Hughes said, before confirming that the thoughts began when the CBC hired her to be a cycling analyst at the 2008 Beijing summer games. "I remember being at the velodrome and just thinking I'm so there. I can be there, and I can do this, and I can be one of the best. There's no doubt in my mind."

Clara Hughes: Right to Play, Take a Hike

A long time supporter of Right to Play, Hughes inspired a flood of new supporters for the organization following her gold medal win at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. Following her victory, Hughes made a personal donation of $10,000 to Right To Play and challenged Canadians donate what they could.

This simple call to action raised nearly half a million dollars in support Right To Play's programs in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. Since her gold medal win in Turin, Hughes has visited Right To Play projects in Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Ghana.

Hughes generously donated her $10,000 bronze medal bonus to the Take a Hike Foundation to help at-risk youth in Vancouver. The night before her race, Hughes read stories on the website that resonated with her due to her own troubled youth.

"There is a way out. It's different for every person. Sport is not the (only) answer, but I think goals and dreams and a sense of self worth is the answer. I really believe Take a Hike parallels what sport has done for me."

Hughes Confronts Depression on Let's Talk

She is also the spokesperson for Bell's Let's talk Initiative is a 5-year, $50-million campaign that promotes awareness of mental illnesses in Canada. Hughe's strucggle with depression is something she's been quite public about, appearing not only in commercials for the initiatives, but addressing it in interviews.

According to a recent CTV feature, "I've traveled across this country since our home Olympics back in February and so many Canadians say to me 'I recognize you by your smile,'" Hughes said. "And I think it's time for me to share with people that I'm not always smiling and there are times that I went through, particularly two years after my first Olympics (1996 Atlanta), where I couldn't smile. And it took a lot to come out of that depression."

Hughes wants to deflate the stigma around mental illnesses and give hope to people who feel there's no way out. "Even someone like me that can seem really strong - I'm so vulnerable. I'm so human," say Hughes.

Clara Hughes Twitter Campaign

Bell's CEO George Cope said one in five Canadians experiences a form of mental illness at some point in their lives, and mental illness is the No. 1 cause of workplace disability in Canada, accounting for 30 per cent of disability claims and 70 per cent of disability costs.He also noted mental illness represents 15 per cent of Canada's health care burden but receives only five per cent of health care funding.

Hughes suggests how fans can help: on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012, Bell will tweet a Let's Talk message @Bell_LetsTalk and will donate five cents for every retweet it receives.

Hughes' many achievements, both as an athlete and as a role model for Canadians, her remarkable talent and work ethic, and her drive to help and inspire others make Clara Hughes a Canadian the nation can be proud to call its own.