One for the Books
Before rising to fame as an Olympic gold medalist, Kristi Yamaguchi was once a reserved teenager with a pair of skates in her hand. By the end of the 1980s, she was actively competing in (and winning) world championships and dedicating most (if not all) of her time to travel, training and contests. Yet amidst her busy schedule, she always found time for a good book, which offered a welcome distraction from the demands of the ice.
“Before phones and social media, I was traveling a lot on the bus and airplane, so books were definitely my escape,” she says. “I loved reading, and being a pretty shy child, they were my window to the outside world. It was a lot of fun to dive into a new book and a new world, basically.”
After capturing gold at the 1992 Winter Olympics — and becoming the first Asian American to do so — Yamaguchi shot into celebrity status overnight. Her face adorned Kellogg’s cereal boxes and Hallmark Christmas ornaments, and she forged advertising partnerships with industry giants like Got Milk?, Campbell Soup and Wendy’s. Her presence extended to motion pictures such as Everybody Loves Raymond, Fresh Off The Boat, Hell’s Kitchen, D2: The Mighty Ducks and Go Figure. Additionally, she hosted her own figure skating series, served as a special correspondent for the Today show and emerged victorious on the sixth season of Dancing with the Stars.
“Suddenly becoming a household name was interesting because you don’t realize how many people are cheering for you while you’re competing at the Olympics, but coming home and feeling that was incredible,” says the Bay Area native. “It was a little daunting for sure, not knowing what it all meant, but it definitely took a few years to settle into that role of being a role model and being seen in that type of capacity.”
Professionally, Yamaguchi remained dedicated to figure skating and participated in Stars on Ice, a touring show founded by fellow Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton, for a decade.
“After that, I kind of started to wind down,” she says. “That’s when I really started to focus more attention on my nonprofit, Always Dream, and my work off the ice and within the community and having a legacy beyond the Olympics.
“My mom had asked me, ‘What are you going to do to give back?’ knowing I had incredible support to go after my dreams,” Yamaguchi adds. “I wanted to do just that — be a support and give encouragement to all the young kids to go after and pursue their dreams.”
Yamaguchi established Always Dream in 1996, but the nonprofit didn’t find its niche until 2012, when it concentrated on early childhood literacy — a cause close to heart for the book-loving athlete.
“We realized that education is the foundation to build your dreams upon, and that starts with literacy,” she says. “Our program focuses on 4- and 5-year-olds and provides them with high-quality books so they can develop a love of books and a love of reading early on, which will definitely serve them as they continue on with their education and beyond.”
The nonprofit’s Always Reading program equips students with tablets containing over 40,000 titles, alongside hardcover books, and expanded to the Aloha State in 2015. Throughout the 2022-23 school year, it collaborated with 11 local schools, assisting 940 students and families in establishing consistent at-home reading habits.
“Hawai‘i has always been like a second home to me,” shares Yamaguchi, who owns a residence on Maui. “My family and I have been visiting for over 30 years and have developed really incredible relationships there. I care for the community, and when we looked to bring the program to children outside in the Bay Area here in California, Hawai‘i was a natural fit.
“Looking at literacy rates in our country is pretty dismal,” she says. “Knowing how to read helps every aspect of your life: Being a citizen contributing to your community, being able to read anything — the description on your medication, street signs, a menu at a restaurant. We’re basically trying to get kids at that all-important reading level, so they can thrive in school and be able to graduate and go on to careers and beyond. That is all related to their literacy confidence.”
Inspired by her own experiences reading to her daughters, Yamaguchi directed her nonprofit toward promoting literacy. She even authored several children’s books herself, including The New York Times bestseller Dream Big, Little Pig!
Among her favorite reads are timeless classics like Charlotte’s Web, A Wrinkle In Time and The Giving Tree, as well as modern favorites like the Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings, and Today I Feel Silly by Jamie Lee Curtis.
From the ice-skating rink to the classroom, there’s no doubt that Yamaguchi’s influence over nearly 40 years has transcended sports, igniting a spark in a generation of book lovers who follow in her footsteps.
This May, Yamaguchi comes back to Honolulu for Always Dream’s 2024 Hawai‘i Dream Gala. For more information, visit alwaysdream.org