Michelle Kwan welcomes the birth of her first child

Michelle Kwan, the two-time Olympic medalist in figure skating, gave birth to her first child, a girl, and announced the news Wednesday on her Instagram account.

The news came as quite a surprise to many of her fans, as she did not publicly share the news of her pregnancy.

Kwan, 41, posted, “I’m overjoyed and tears of happiness are streaming down my face as I share the news of the arrival of Kalista Belle Kwan!”

“I’ve always wanted to be a mom and, to me, she’s a perfect miracle. I had a hard time picturing what she might look like yet it seems she’s been in my life forever.”

The figure skating star won the silver medal at Nagano 1998 in ladies’ singles and a bronze four years later in Salt Lake City.

Kwan posted a picture of her newborn on social media and also a time-lapse collection of pictures of her growing tummy.

“As people closest to me know, I’m always full of surprises and tend to keep my personal life private,” Kwan posted. “I’ve wanted to share this happy news for many months, but each milestone seemed to be exciting and daunting at the same time.”

The new mother is retired from figure skating, and was recently confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to Belize. She is also a treasurer and board member for Special Olympics International.