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Tara Lipinski celebrates her Olympic win at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Credit: Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
Tara Lipinski won gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics in a thrilling moment when she was just 15 years old
Today, Lipinski, 44, still feels the moment is one of her most awe-inspiring and explains why that will likely always be the case
The athlete is teaming up with Dairy Queen for Miracle Treat Day, where for every Blizzard sold, DQ is donating $1 or more to local children’s hospitals through Children’s Miracle Network
Tara Lipinski is looking back at one of her life’s most meaningful moments.
Speaking to PEOPLE, the sportscaster and Olympian remembered her 1998 women’s gold medal moment, calling it, “One of the most surreal things that has ever happened to me, other than going on Traitors.”
Lipinski defeated Michelle Kwan and Lu Chen to win gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, at just 15 years old, becoming the youngest winner of an individual event in the Games’ history.
“I was young, but I worked really hard to give up a lot of my childhood for that specific goal and dream. I really truly dreamed of becoming an Olympian. And even further than that, the cherry on top would be to win the Olympics. You know the odds of that are so low, so you put so much into it,” she tells PEOPLE.
“You sacrifice so much and your family and your coaching team, everyone is sacrificing so much for this dream. So, you work at it for 13 years, and then all of a sudden you’re at the Olympic Games, and at 11:00 PM, your life changes,” she continued. “Now, everything you dreamed of is a reality and you’re being called an Olympic champion. And it is a very, very surreal moment, pinch-me moment.”
Lipinski remembered 1984 Olympian Scott Hamilton telling her that the feeling of that moment “will never leave you.”
“It’s funny now, all of these years later, there are times that I still can’t quite wrap my mind around it, that I was able to perform in the way that I did in four minutes. And it could have gone a very different way, but somehow it went that exact way, and my life changed in that moment forever. So, it’s always a pinch-me sort of moment,” she concluded.
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Tara Lipinski hits the ice ahead of Dairy Queen’s 2026 Miracle Treat Day
Credit: Dairy Queen
Ever-supportive of Lipinski is her husband. Kapostasy has posted many celebratory messages on the anniversary of Lipinski’s Olympic gold medal win, often professing his admiration for his wife’s athleticism.
On the 22nd anniversary of her achievement, Kapostasy posted a picture of a then-16-year-old Lipinski jumping on the couch after she found out she won gold at the 1998 Olympics.
“Generally speaking, I’m a sappy, emotional wreck, but looking back through photos and video of @taralipinski 1998 Olympic skate always gets me teary-eyed,” he wrote in the caption. “What that little booger was able to accomplish back then (to steal a line from Larry David) was pretty... pretty good (and look at the vertical on the celebration!) It really never gets old celebrating this remarkable accomplishment.”
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Tara Lipinski and Whitleigh for Miracle Treat Day 2026
Credit: Dairy Queen
Lipinski is teaming up with DQ to encourage fans nationwide to enjoy a Blizzard Treat while giving back to children and families in their own communities. On July 30, for every Blizzard sold, DQ is donating $1 or more to local children’s hospitals through Children’s Miracle Network. As part of the Miracle Treat Day celebration, Lipinski spent time with a young Children’s Miracle Network Champion, Whitleigh, having fun together on the ice.
“I got to see firsthand how Children’s Miracle Network and the treatment she received changed her life. Being able to skate with her and swing around on the ice and have those moments with her, she was just so adorable. You just realize what an impact something like this can be,” Lipinski shared.
She concluded, “Blizzards are amazing. It’s a very easy ask that people do this, knowing how beneficial it is for so many families and the impact it can make in someone’s life. For me, it’s just really fun to be part of this and to have had that experience with Whitleigh and sort of spread the word.”
Read the original article on People
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