ABC televised the 1968 Winter Games live and in color for the first time ever, and the enduring image from that coverage will always be of Peggy's free-skating program. It was a program that won her the Gold Medal by 88.2 points over her closest competitor. That image of a young woman in a chartreuse dress fulfilling her dream as a nation watched, was the beginning of a long and mutually satisfying relationship with television. Six months after those Olympics, Peggy would star in the first of five TV specials. Peggy's career as an on air analyst for ABC Sports has taken her to national, world, and Olympic competitions, and she continues to provide warm and knowledgeable commentary to an ever growing audience.
Spreading the Message
This may sound strange, but there was something good about having cancer. I got to know myself better. No one talks about the upside of cancer. Looking back on receiving that diagnosis, it took my breath away at first. Then I was pretty calm, as I got more information. You never know how you’ll react until confronted with those scary words, “breast cancer.” I totally went into training mode, listening to my doctors intently (they were now my “coaches”), and doing exactly what they told me. I wanted my doctors to be proud of me. Scott Hamilton said he did the same thing. He said his competitive spirit kicked in. I was the same way; I wanted to be the best patient ever. I was lucky. I had found mine early.
As soon as I finished my treatments, the talk shows started calling. I didn’t hesitate, even though I’ve always been very private. I felt like I had to get the message out to other women about early detection saving lives so that they could be as lucky as I was. Thirty years ago, NO ONE spoke about having cancer, least of all, celebrities. There was a fear that it would affect careers, scare the public off. Betty Ford changed all that when she announced her breast cancer in September 1974. Her husband had just taken office as president of the United States the month before. It was a huge, brave thing to do at what must have been a very stressful time. Today, you hear celebrities, athletes, politicians, everyone discussing struggles with serious disease. That one simple, honest act by Betty Ford opened up everyone’s eyes, and slowly, the stigma about having cancer went away. It also opened the door for all of us in the public eye to help others by sharing our stories. And that truly is the best part of being a public figure.
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