Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan takes the ice in Des Moines to support Joe Biden

Brianne Pfannenstiel | Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Olympic skater Michelle Kwan visits Des Moines for Biden Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan spent time visiting with young Iowa skaters in Des Moines during a stop for Democratic presidential candidate hopeful Joe Biden on Saturday.

Olympian and world champion figure skater Michelle Kwan gave some free pointers to Des Moines-area ice skaters Saturday morning before gliding effortlessly into a pitch for former vice president Joe Biden.

Kwan, who is Biden's director of surrogates, kicked off a day of campaigning at Brenton Skating Plaza in downtown Des Moines by lacing up her skates. She planned to also launch a canvass shift in West Des Moines and attend a house party in Johnston.

Standing on the ice speaking to a couple of dozen people, Kwan said she thinks often of her parents who immigrated to the United States "with nothing" to pursue the American Dream.

"I had the opportunity to figure skate," she said. "That was beyond what parents could dream of. But that's the American Dream. And that's, to me, what's at stake. And that is why I proudly support Joe Biden. He always is a fighter for everyone — not just those at the top."

In an interview, Kwan said that when she retired from figure skating — after winning two Olympic medals, five World championships and nine U.S. championships — she studied political science and international relations in college before attending graduate school and working in the U.S. State Department. She worked in a similar capacity for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election.

Kwan said she supports Biden in part because of his record taking on the National Rifle Association over gun laws and supporting the Violence Against Women Act.

"Joe Biden is, to me, has our best chance of winning," she said.

Kwan joined hands with some of Des Moines' youngest aspiring figure skaters, including 4-year-old Avey Collins of Waukee.

"I've been telling her since last night, 'Are you really excited to see a really famous figure skater?'" Avey's mother Yukiko Collins said from the side of the skating rink. "She doesn't grasp the idea yet, you know, an Olympic medalist. But she knows the word 'famous.'"

Collins said she's still trying to decide whom she'll support in the Iowa caucuses, but she's narrowed her list to Biden and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. She said she wants someone who can bring down the cost of prescription drugs and increase support for public schools.

"We need somebody who has a good chance of winning," she said.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

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