Michelle Kwan is a legend in the figure skating world. But after nine U.S. national figure skating championships, five world championships and two Olympic medals, she is officially settling down!
On Sept. 3, Michelle got engaged to Clay Pell, 30, director for strategic planning on the National Security staff at the White House. The couple first met in April 2011.
“It was a simple decision and it made sense, that’s what’s so exciting to me,” Michelle said of the proposal, spilling all the details to PEOPLE. “We are working together as a team, like in [pair skating].” Clay added: ”It was amazing from the very beginning how in sync our way of thinking is, our basic values and our sense of priorities. We just both got each other.”
Clay proposed on Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. “It was hot and we were going to go into the water to cool ourselves off a little bit,” Michelle said. “I wasn’t anticipating going swimming. I said, ‘I don’t feel comfortable because I don’t have my bathing suit on.’ He’s like, ‘No, come on in,’ so I said, ‘Okay.’ ”
“I was nervous about wanting to do it right, but I wasn’t nervous about what the answer would be,” Clay admitted. “We had been talking for a while about how we would like to have a family and the idea of getting married and what we wanted to do with our lives – and public service. So I think we both knew where we were relationship-wise and where we were going.”
That’s precious! Congrats to the happy couple!
Image via Gregg Deguire/Wireimage
