(1948-)

Who Is Peggy Fleming?

Peggy Fleming started figure skating at age 9. Soon the hobby blossomed into an amateur career and Fleming won several accolades for the sport, including U.S. titles and world championships. She then participated in the 1968 Olympics, where she won the only gold medal for the United States.

Thirty years later, Fleming was diagnosed with breast cancer. After going through surgery and chemotherapy, she successfully conquered her cancer.

Early Life

Peggy Gale Fleming was born on July 27, 1948, in San Jose, California. She began skating at age 9, and her family made several sacrifices to support the young athlete's amateur career. When she was 12, her coach was among those killed when a plane carrying the United States figure skating team crashed in Belgium.

With her new coach — the lithe, elegant skater Carlo Fassi — Fleming went on to win five U.S. titles and three world championships.

1968 Olympics

In 1968, Fleming won gold at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, France. Her gold medal was the only one achieved by the U.S. that year. The victory was also particularly sweet because it signaled a resurgence in U.S. figure skating following the 1961 airplane tragedy.

After winning her Olympic gold, Fleming starred in several television specials, including Fantasy Island, The Magic of David Copperfield VII: Familares and Nutcracker on Ice, and performed in countless skating shows across the U.S.

She was also a popular commentator for ABC Sports, often working with fellow Olympic champ Dick Button.

Battling Breast Cancer

In 1998, Fleming was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery to remove a malignant tumor on the 30th anniversary of her famous Olympic win. After completing radiation therapy, Fleming was cancer-free.

She shared her battle with breast cancer with the public, appearing on such television shows such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Since her diagnosis, Fleming has been a tireless champion for health-related causes.

Personal Life

Fleming and her husband, Greg Jenkins, have two sons, Andy and Todd, and multiple grandchildren.

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QUICK FACTS

  • Name: Peggy Fleming
  • Birth Year: 1948
  • Birth date: July 27, 1948
  • Birth State: California
  • Birth City: San Jose
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Known For: Figure skater Peggy Fleming won the only U.S. gold medal in the 1968 Olympics. Later, she publicly battled breast cancer, beating it with radiation therapy.
  • Industries
    • Sports
  • Astrological Sign: Leo
  • Interesting Facts
    • Peggy Fleming was the only U.S. competitor to win a gold medal during the 1968 Olympics, rejuvenating the sport of figure skating.
    • On the 30th anniversary of her 1968 Olympic gold medal win, Peggy Fleming had surgery to remove a malignant tumor.

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CITATION INFORMATION

  • Article Title: Peggy Fleming Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/peggy-fleming
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 23, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

QUOTES

  • I wouldn't have started skating if it weren't for my Dad, but I became a skater because of my mom. It is not stretching the point to say, 'We became a skater,' two people, one pair of skates. We each had a job to do to make me a champion skater, and I certainly didn't do it on my own.