Who is John Elway’s first wife Janet Buchan? Split explored amid doc release 

John Elway’s life has drawn attention after his Netflix documentary ELWAY premiered on December 22.

The 99-minute documentary, directed by Ken Rodgers and Chris Weaver, traces his life and career, from his Stanford stardom and his dual sports draft to his 16-year Broncos quarterback career.

In an interview with The Gazette, Rodgers said:

“When you watch this film, you are going to learn just how pressure-filled John’s life was — not just as a quarterback and as a player, but as a man.”

Elway's first wife was Janet Buchan, a Stanford University swimmer and All-American athlete whom he married in 1984. They had four children together—Jessica, Jordan, Jack, and Juliana. The couple amicably separated after 18 years of marriage, finalizing their divorce in 2003.

She founded Janet’s Camp in 2005. It was an annual fundraising event she created to provide scholarships for the underprivileged and inner-city children to attend YMCA of Metropolitan Denver summer camps.

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All you need to know about the split of John Elway and Janet Buchan

Born in February 1961 in Seattle, John Elway’s first wife, Janet Buchan, has remained largely out of the spotlight.

She attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Tacoma (now known as Silas High School). During high school, she became a swimming champion, winning six state championships. She was awarded a scholarship to Stanford University for her swimming achievements, where she majored in sociology. It was at this university that she met her husband, John Elway, in 1980.

They dated for about four years before tying the knot in a low-key marriage ceremony in March 1984 at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California. Reports suggested that 800 guests attended their wedding.

After 18 years of marriage, John Elway and Janet separated in 2002 and finalised their divorce in 2003. The couple never publicly disclosed the reason behind their divorce.

According to a report in the CBC News, John Elway’s wife, Janet, moved out of the couple's $1.8 million US Cherry Hills Farm following their separation. In an interview with the Denver Post, she said:

“I'm supposed to say I have no comment. But yes. I have left, but I am staying in the neighborhood. It's a tough time. We're doing this to make us better. You go through tough times to find out what you're all about.”

John Elway previously shared in an interview with The Los Angeles Times that he had “no control” over his divorce. He addressed the role his fame played in the breakdown of his marriage with Janet Buchan. He said:

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“All the attention…it’s something my wife got tired of. Being out in public and having no privacy had a lot to do with it, but it wasn’t something I could control. It’s embarrassing. You feel as if you failed because you couldn’t make it work. But the thing I feel the worst about is breaking up the family unit.”

Buchan married for the second time to Kevin Kretzmar in 2011. He was the president of Centennial-based Safe Money and a branch manager for Summit Brokerage Services.

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