Sarah Hughes is an American figure skater who won the gold medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics. She was born in Great Neck, New York and began skating at the age of three. She is best known for her performance in the 2002 Olympics, where she won the gold medal despite being a relative unknown. She is also the first American woman to win the Olympic title in ladies' singles since 1976. Sarah Hughes has since retired from competitive skating and is now a motivational speaker and advocate for youth sports.