Former Olympics Champion Michelle Kwan Is Engaged

The little girl who twirled into our hearts all those years ago is all grown up. Michelle Kwan, 32, former U.S figure skating champion, is engaged to Clay Pell, 30, director for strategic planning on the National Security staff at the White House.

It was a simple decision and it made sense, that's what's so exciting to me," Kwan told People magazine about the proposal, which occurred sept.3 on Block Island -- off the coast of Rhode Island. "We are working together as a team, like in [pair skating]."

An equally blissful Pell 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."

The bride-to-be soon began to muse about the momentous day, "It was hot and we were going to go into the water to cool ourselves off a little bit," she 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.' "

Husband-to-be followed suit and gave insights about how he popped the question to his champion. "I was nervous about wanting to do it right, but I wasn't nervous about what the answer would be," Pell explained. "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."

Like Pell, Kwan also works in public service. In 2006, she was appointed by then Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, to serve as U.S' first public diplomacy envoy - a role she still holds today.

"Michelle embodies the American dream," Rice said of the five-time world figure skating winner and nine-time U.S. title holder. "The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she rose to the heights of artistic and athletic excellence through her discipline, her drive and her determination."

"I think competing really opened my eyes to how many souls you can reach," Kwan said in a released statement. "I always wanted to somehow serve our country and represent the United States and I did that in two Olympics. I wanted to do something different. Going to school and studying political science and international studies, maybe I can have a bigger hand in it and maybe make a bigger difference."