#905 Flowing with Kristi Yamaguchi

 

This week on the special edition Bruce Lee Foundation takeover of the Bruce Lee Podcast for the month of May, Shannon is honored to welcome Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi to the show.

Everyone knows Kristi as a champion on the ice, but in her years since winning gold she has also become a devoted author, philanthropist, and lifelong advocate for youth literacy. Born in California to Japanese-American parents, Kristi’s mother was born in a WWII internment camp while her grandfather served as a U.S. Army lieutenant. Kristi’s journey reflects strength across generations and  is one of legacy and service.

Kristi shares how a treasured Dorothy Hamill doll ignited her early passion for skating, and what it felt like to meet her idol moments before the biggest performance of her life. She also reflects on her touring years with Stars On Ice.

Kristi opens up about the values her parents instilled in her around service and gratitude—and how those principles ultimately led her to found Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream, a nonprofit dedicated to early literacy and family engagement. Through her foundation, Kristi is helping ensure that children in underserved communities not only have access to high-quality books, but also the support needed to build a lifelong love of reading.

Finally, Kristi opens up about a new passion she’s been engaged in, and it’s VERY Bruce Lee of her! Join Shannon and get to know how Kristi is continuing to shape an inspiring legacy that continues across generations!

 

Get to know Kristi Yamaguchi

 

Kristi Yamaguchi

Kristi Yamaguchi captured the gold medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France in figure skating. She is also a two-time World Champion and U.S. National Champion. Kristi is a member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. She is the recipient of USOPC’s Jesse Owens Olympic Spirit Award for “serving as a powerful force for good in society” as well as the 2019 Heisman Humanitarian Award for the work of her nonprofit organization, Always Dream. Following a long and successful career in professional figure skating, including 10 years of touring with Stars On Ice, Kristi took to the dance floor to win the mirror ball trophy with partner Mark Ballas in season 6 of the popular TV show Dancing With The Stars.

In 1996, she founded Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream, whose mission focuses on early literacy through family engagement with children and families in Northern California and Hawaiʻi. In 2012, Kristi added New York Times Best-Selling author to her list of achievements by introducing her first children’s picture book, Dream Big, Little Pig!, and then following up with It’s A Big World, Little Pig! and a third title, Cara's Kindness.

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Sydnie Wilsons09