MORNING.
HI, ANNE, GOOD MORNING.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING,
EVERYBODY.
YOU KNOW, PEGGY FLEMING
PROPELLED FIGURE SKATING INTO
THE WINTER GAMES MARQUEE SPORT,
LEAVING SUCH A MARK THAT A HALF
CENTURY LATER, WE'RE STILL
ASKING WHO WILL BE THE NEXT
PEGGY FLEMING.
FOUR MINUTES OF OLYMPIC MAGIC
LIVE AND IN COLOR ON TV FOR THE
VERY FIRST TIME.
SUDDENLY A NATION IN THE MIDST
OF PAINFUL AND DRAMATIC CHANGE
SAW THE BEST OF ITSELF,
REFLECTED IN AN ELEGANT AND
ETHEREAL 19-YEAR-OLD PEGGY
FLEMING.
>> WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT
THAT NIGHT?
>> I REMEMBER BEING TERRIFIED.
>> REALLY?
>> YEAH.
>> IT DIDN'T SHOW.
>> I KNOW.
AND I LOOK AT THE FOOTAGE AND I
SEE MYSELF STEPPING OUT ON THE
ICE.
AND I GO, GOSH, I DON'T LOOK
NERVOUS AT ALL.
BUT INSIDE I WAS LIKE -- I WAS
TERRIFIED.
>> WAS IT YOUR BEST PERFORMANCE?
>> NO, IT WASN'T.
AND THAT'S KIND OF SAD FOR ME
THAT IT WASN'T MY SKATE OF A
LIFETIME.
>> Reporter: BUT IT WAS THE
SKATE OF OUR LIFETIME.
THE JUDGES IN AMERICA FALLING IN
LOVE WITH PEGGY'S ARTISTRY.
A SERIES OF TELEVISION SPECIALS
DEEPENING THE BOND.
>> WE'LL HAVE TO STOP MEETING
LIKE THIS.
>> I HADN'T EVEN BABY-SAT BEFORE
AND THIS WAS MY FIRST JOB.
I WENT, OKAY.
WHATEVER.
I'M GOING TO DO IT.
AND I HAD SO MUCH FUN.
I HAD GENE KELLY, YOU KNOW,
SKATING WITH ME AND IT WAS LIKE,
WOW.
THIS IS -- THIS IS LIKE BIG
TIME.
>> Reporter: GIRLS WANTED TO BE
HER, BOYS WANTED TO DATE HER.
PEGGY WOULD TRANSCEND SPORTS TO
BECOME PART OF THE POP CULTURE,
HELPING EXPLAIN TOE LOOPS AND
AXLES ON TV, PITCHING PRODUCTS.
>> SO YOU WEREN'T ON THE COVER
OF WHEATIES?
>> NO.
BRAN FLAKES.
>> WELL, IT IS A CEREAL BOX.
>> Reporter: MAKING WINE, EVEN
SURVIVING BREAST CANCER.
YET IT WOULD BE ON THE ICE WHERE
PEGGY WOULD ETCH HER INDELIBLE
MARK.
"SPORTS ILLUSTRATED" NAMING
PEGGY ALONG WITH JACKIE ROBIN
SUB, BILLIE JEAN KING AND ARNOLD
PALMER AS ONE OF SEVEN ATHLETES
WHO CHANGED THEIR SPORT.
>> DID YOU REALIZE YOU WERE
CHANGING YOUR SPORT?
>> NO, NOT AT ALL.
I JUST KEPT DOING THINGS.
IT'S PRETTY COOL.
>> Reporter: THE CALIFORNIA GIRL
NOW LIVES IN COLORADO.
UNPACKING BOXES OF MEMORIES.
>> THIS IS INNOCENCE RIGHT HERE.
>> OH, LOOK HOW CUTE.
>> Reporter: AFTER A MOVE TO BE
CLOSER TO HER THREE
GRANDCHILDREN.
A LIFE GROUNDED IN GOOD FRIENDS
AND GOOD CHOICES, STARTING WITH
HER HUSBAND, GREG JENKINS.
HER BOYFRIEND AT THE OLYMPICS.
>> SO, GREG, WHAT DO YOU
REMEMBER ABOUT PEGGY'S
PERFORMANCE IN '68?
>> I REMEMBER IT WAS REALLY
NERVE RACKING TO WATCH.
BUT I WAS SO PROUD OF HER.
MY PARENTS HAD BOUGHT A COLOR TV
JUST SO WE COULD WATCH IT LIVE
VIA SATELLITE.
IT WAS FANTASTIC.
>> PEGGY'S MEMORIES ROOTED IN
BEING THE SECOND DAUGHTER OF AL
AND DORIS FLEMING, A WORKING
CLASS COUPLE WHO MOVED TO
COLORADO SPRINGS SO PEGGY COULD
TRAIN WITH THE BEST.
AL DROVE THE ZAMBONI WHILE SHE
SKATED BUT NEVER LIVED TO SEE
HER GOLD MEDAL.
DORIS MADE HER CHARTREUSE DRESS.
>> MY MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT, I
THINK, AT THAT OLYMPICS WAS
SEEING MY MOTHER'S FACE.
I THINK SHE PUT SO MUCH INTO ME
AND GUIDED ME AND MADE ME FEEL
STRONG AND THAT SHE REALLY SAW
THE BIG PICTURE OF WHAT I COULD
DO AND SHE HELPED ME BE STRONG
AND SHE PUSHED, AND I NEEDED
THAT.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT SHE SAID
TO YOU WHEN YOU GOT OFF THE ICE?
>> SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY A
WORD.
I COULD SEE IT.
IT WAS THE HAPPIEST I'VE EVER
SEEN HER.
>> Reporter: A MAGIC MOMENT THAT
50 YEARS LATER IS WHY PEGGY
FLEMING REMAINS AMERICA'S GOLD
STANDARD.
NOW, ALWAYS LOOKING TO IMPROVE
HER SPORT, THIS SUMMER PEGGY
WILL UNVEIL THE INAUGURAL PEGGY
FLEMING TROPHY WHERE SKATERS
WILL COMPETE BASED ON ARTISTRY
INSTEAD OF JUMPS.
BUT FIRST, THERE ARE MEDALS TO
BE WON HERE.
SAVANNAH, HODA AND AL.
>> WE LOVE THAT, ANNE.
>> THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PIECE,
ANNE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> BY THE WAY, WHO'S GOING TO BE
THIS YEAR'S PEGGY FLEMING?
NOBODY CAN TOP HER, BUT WE'LL
HAVE LIVE COVERAGE OF THE WINTER
OLYMPICS ALL DAY ON THE NETWORKS
OF NBC.
TONIGHT ON NBC PRIMETIME AND THE