Maybe you remember Kristi Yamaguchi as America’s sweetheart and winner of the 1992 Olympic Gold Medal in women’s figure skating. Or maybe you saw her become a champion on Dancing with the Stars. Or maybe you’re read her new children’s book, Dream Big, Little Pig, to your kids. Those are all wonderful accomplishments, but they don’t hold to candle to what Yamaguchi does for kids with special needs.
Always Dream Foundation
According to an article at www.mercurynews.com, Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation co-sponsored camps for kids with special needs. “Disabled children were paired with able-bodied buddies for a week. Kids with spinal bifida or muscular dystrophy or other challenges mingled with others. By the end of the week, each side saw the world in a different light.”
Her interest with special needs began early. The article states that “Yamaguchi was born in 1971… with two club feet, which required a series of manipulations and castings. By the time Yamaguchi started skating, at age 6, she was hardly a natural. ‘I wasn’t always the strongest physically, and I wasn’t always the most coordinated,’ she said. ‘But I was always willing to work a little harder.'”
The Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose’s Legacy Award
Recently, Yamaguchi received the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose’s Legacy Award. Why? Because she and her Always Dream Foundation were the driving forces behind the creation of The Always Dream Play Park, located in the Central Park of Fremont, California, Yamaguchi’s home town. Here’s how the Mercury.com article describes the playground. It “features a slide that’s wheelchair-accessible and swings with extra safety precautions. But it’s not advertised as a park for special-needs kids. It’s advertised as a park. And it’s always packed.”
Yamaguchi Still Gets the Gold
That’s why Kristi Yamaguchi still gets the gold in my book. She’s taking the grief and the grace of her lifetime and using it to show compassion to those in need. She’s the champion of a worthy cause. She’s a champion. Period.
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Thanks for your post on Kristi Yamaguchi!
Kristi gets “it” – which is far rarer and better than gold. “it” is seeing athletic greatness as an opportunity to give back rather than just an achievment to brag about. “it” is handling life’s challenges with grace rather than using them as an excuse to give up. “it” is the “Right Stuff” that Chuck Yaeger has. “It” is the humanity Muhammad Ali has. “It” trumps gold every time. We’re lucky to have Kristi as a real role model for our children AND the adults.