Name Clara Hughes 

Olympics 2006 Turin, Italy 

Event Speed skating, 5,000 metres 

The setting Hughes, a Winnipeg native, was already the only Canadian to win a medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. However, she was lacking a gold on her resume. Coming into the final pairing, fellow Canadian Cindy Klassen had the lead.

On the day Hughes was in the same group as German Claudia Pechstein, a five-time Olympic gold medalist. And for 11 of the 12 1/2 laps, Pechstein held a lead on Hughes. However, Hughes used her trademark final push to pass Pechstein. She wound up edging Pechstein by a second, pushing Klassen to third. Klassen credited Hughes' years as a cyclist for her ability to have something left in reserve for the final stretch. "I just started crying tears of joy," Hughes said. "I can't believe I won the Olympics. It was just so many emotions." 

Afterlife Hughes will carry Canada's flag into B.C. Place for the Opening Ceremony at the 2010 Olympics. She is also prominently involved with Right To Play, an athlete-driven humanitarian organization that aids the development of children in underprivileged areas.