When Peggy Fleming entered her first figure skating competition at the age of 9, she took first place.

"Wow. Looks like I can do this," she said she told herself.

Just a few weeks later, the Californian took the ice for another event. This time, she came in dead last.

"How embarrassing," she remembers thinking. "Looks like I'm going to have to work harder if I want to keep winning."

In her first month of competitive skating, Fleming said, she learned her two biggest life lessons.

That mix of confidence and humility would carry her through a wide variety of experiences excelling as an elite athlete, surviving breast cancer and running a successful business.

Fleming was in Omaha as the keynote speaker for a luncheon sponsored by the Wellness Council of the Midlands to honor the area's healthiest companies. One of the best figure skaters in U.S. history, Fleming spoke about her career as an athlete and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

"I wasn't born with confidence and perspective," said Fleming, 61. "I've learned a lot of lessons in my life along the way, from my skating career, from my marriage, from parenting and from my experience with breast cancer."

Fleming won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, France. In all, she captured five U.S. figure skating titles and three world championships.

She went on to star in TV skating specials and to work as a commentator for ABC Sports.

Fleming was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 and had surgery to remove a malignant tumor on the 30th anniversary of her Olympic triumph. She completed radiation therapy and learned she was cancer-free.

"It is very humbling," she said. "You know, cancer doesn't care who you are or what you're doing."

Fleming and her husband, retired dermatologist Greg Jenkins, live near San Francisco. Married since 1970, they have two sons and three grandsons.

Shortly after her bout with cancer, Fleming and Jenkins began producing wine. Today they operate the Fleming Jenkins Vineyards and Winery. They sell several varieties, include one made from grapes grown by former NFL coach and announcer John Madden.

But Fleming also keeps busy promoting wellness and speaking on health-related issues.

She praised the 15 companies that were honored Thursday for taking steps to help their employees become active, eat well and quit smoking.

This year's recipients of the Platinum Award, the highest designation given, were Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska; Nebraska Methodist College, the Josie Harper Campus; the Nebraska Medical Center; and Union Pacific Corp.

Other recipients were: C&A Industries, Children's Hospital & Medical Center, Faith Regional Health Services, Fremont (Neb.) National Bank & Trust Co., Great Plains Communications, Home Instead Inc., Hormel Foods, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Nye Senior Services, Streck Inc. and Fremont (Neb.) Family YMCA.

In talking about her battle with cancer, Fleming said she happened to notice a lump in her breast just five months after having a mammogram. She decided to visit her doctor just to be safe.

"Paying attention to just that small change in my body made a huge difference in the outcome of my disease," she said. "It's been 12 years for me now, and I feel very healthy and very aware. I do not take my good health for granted. ... As we get older, it's even more important that we make that a priority in our lives."