The Life Of A Dreamer
By: Melissa Susemihl
Hockey players and figure skaters really don’t usually get along. Some people think Hockey is harder than figure skating. I have my opinions, and you have yours. If you think Hockey is harder you are wrong. Skating is harder. If you don’t believe me I will show you, no wait! I have to tell you through a remarkable skater.
A very important skater was born into an interesting family on July 12,1971,in Hayward, California. Her parent Caroline and Jim named their little girl Kristi Tsuy Yamaguchi. By then she already had an older sister Lori. Soon to come a little brother named Brett.
Her mother, Caroline worked as a medical secretary. Caroline was born in WWII in Amache, Colorado internment camp. Her father, Jim worked as a dentist. In WWII he also had to move to an internment camp in Arizona. How did these two meet? They met on a blind date. Kristi’s family have a Japanese background and her great grandparents moved to America, a generation before WWII. Their first child, Lori was in activities like ballet, tap, and baton twirling. In baton Lori won the world title. Brett, Kristi’s younger brother was always interested in all kinds of sports.
Kristi did not start skating right away because there were other things that she would discover first. When Kristi was born her parents found out her feet were turned in. She had to wear a cast on her feet to correct the problem. She had to wear the cast for her first two years. Her cast had to be changed every two weeks. It was very hard to learn how to walk in them, because they were so pain full any way. The cast came off at the age of four.
She started doing dance because her mother thought that it would help strengthen her feet. Later on she started doing activities like basketball, cheerleading, and even baton twirling like her sister. Through all these activities they never forgot to learn some more about their heritage.
Soon something else caught her eye. FIGURE SKATING! Kristi first saw skating in her hometown mall. The mall was not far from her house so she would beg her mom to drive her to the mall so she could watch their ice show. When Kristi asked her mom if she could start skating, her mom started thinking that it was too risky to put a four-year-old on ice. So she told her,’’ when you start school and can read on your own then we will see.’’
Soon when she came home from her first day of first grade she cried,’’ I can read,’’ and then suddenly said,’’ can I go skating,’’ Her mom kept her promise. So they headed to the ice rink, Kristi was so exited! They rented skates and when they got on the ice Kristi was having trouble standing up right so her mom helped her. When it was time to leave she did not want to give back the skates. So her mom had to explain to her that the skates were not hers. Kristi did not want to steal the skates so she gave back the skates. Every time though, when she went skating she would ask for the same skates.
Right around then Dorothy Hamill won the Olympic gold medal in 1976. Soon after that Kristi received a Dorothy Hamill doll for a present. Kristi would take Dorothy on the ice and make Dorothy skate with her.
She dislikes it when her brother, Brett calls her cricket. She is freaked out about spiders. And cannot stand scary movies. She totally hated it when she had to have 10 teeth extracted when she was 9 years old.
Also when she was nine she met her coach at a summer camp for skaters. Her coach’s name is Christy Kjarsgaard.
Most skaters don’t have a regular education. Did Kristi? Kristi went to San Jose High, in Fremont, California, and her junior and senior years. She had a more flexible schedule in junior high than in high school. Only with her skating life she had to find a way to fit in studies. She tried independent studies for two years but quit because she felt to isolated. She was shy and afraid to speak if the teacher called on her. Being short was kind of a problem in the hallways. When Kristi walked though the hallway, taller kids would accidentally elbow her in the head.
Kristi graduated from San Jose High in 1989.for College Kristi went to the University of Alberta. In Edmond, Alberta, Canada. She is still attending classes.
In her skating life…
All the stuff you do know about Kristi now, there are a few things you don’t know. When Kristi was doing singles she was also doing pairs. Her partner was Rudy Galindo, they started in 1983. Their coach was Jim Hulick. Even though Kristi started singles first she still had a love for pairs skating. So at the same time Kristi was doing pairs and singles at the same time.
Kristi won the Jr. Singles Title, and her and Rudy won the World Jr. Pairs in 1987. In 1989 Kristi and Rudy won the 1989 U.S. National Pairs Championships. Also in ’89 she got second in the U.S. Ladies Singles and went to the Seniors World Championships in Paris, France.
24 hours after graduation from high school, she moved to Edmonton, Canada. Why did she move? It’s because her singles coach Christy had married sports medicine doctor Andrew Ness. Kristi lived and trained in Canada from 1989-1994.
What happened to her practices with Rudy? She and Rudy met every few weeks, either in Canada or California to practice. They kept this up from 1989-1994.
In 1989 coach Hulick, at age 38, died of cancer that December. Five days later her grand father Doi died of old age. Their coach’s death effected their skating. In 1990 U.S. Nationals Kristi got 2nd for singles. In pairs Rudy and her got 1st. Also in 1990 in the World Championships they got 5th. She got 4th in the World Championships in 1990. Since of all the money they were spending Kristi had to choose one or the other. The death of her pair’s coach made an easier decision. Kristi chose singles.
The break up with Rudy was like having a divorce in the family, which was her opinion. After the break up Rudy became a men’s single skater.
Back to singles. In 1991, at the U.S. Nationals Kristi got 2nd. One of her competitions Tonya Harding got first. Also in 1991, she won the Ladies Singles World competition; that was leading into the 1992 Olympics. Oh, but I bet you didn’t know this, that in the Ladies Singles World Championships. The US swept the medals, which was the first time in history for the Americans. In 1992 she went to the nationals and won the gold.
Kristi had stuff to worry about for the Olympics. Her competitors were Ito and Harding had mastered the triple axels. Kristi had not mastered the triple axel. So for 2-½ year before the Olympics she practiced 20-30 times a day trying the 3-½ revolutions jump. Every time though, she would fall or land it off balance. Do you know what though, Dorothy Hamill came personally to wish Kristi good luck at the Olympics.
She had a few mistakes, she slip in her long program and short program while doing a triple jump. Right in the middle of her long program she decided to change the rest of her long program. This is because her hands had touched the ice. It all paid off, all of the long hours practicing had helped a lot. She says you can never explain the happiness of an Olympic Gold Medal.
Is fame and fortune what Kristi really wanted? Fame brought up Interview, TV shows, Magazine cover like on the cover of sport illustrated, Dignitaries, Celebrities, Parades, fans to meet, and Endorsement. She had not prepared for this.
Questions that came up were about her heritage and how it felt to be the first US Gold Medalist in ladies figure skating since Hamill. Also deals came up, she signed her first deal two weeks after the Olympics. She signed to endorse the fashions made by Celanese Acetate.
One really big dream came true when she singed a contract to skate professionally with the Stars On Ice tour. Stars On Ice usually travels 5or6 months a year. Stars On Ice had also joined the Make A Wish Foundation. Where they can visit kids with life threatening diseases. Kristi started her own foundation and it is called The Always Dream Foundation. Their goal is to make a positive difference in children’s lives. Oh, and she also started the Skate In the Park Foundation, which is in Golden Gates Park.
In 1995 the crew from stars on ice did a show called A Celebration Of Life for Sergei Grinkov. He was a pair skater who was partners with Ekaterina. Sergei fell with Ekaterinaon the ice while practicing. Right then he had a heart attack on the ice. He left behind wife and a child. In 1997 Scott Hamilton left show with illness. When he rejoined the tour the crew found out he had cancer. Now he is still struggling but can still skate with his cancer. This is so exiting; Kristi was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall Of Fame.
Training is a big part of working hard these are things that helped Kristi to get where she is today. She took lessons for many years. She went to all different summer camps for skating. Her training routine would include: axel, double sowcow, double toe loop, double toe walleye, change foot sit spin, change foot camel, flying camel, lay back spin, and some kind of foot work. She would have to wake up at 4’oclock in the morning, every six days every week and skated for five hours. She trained in Canada from 1989-1994. A lot of people also gave her advice.
Now this is what is going on today. Her mom is still a medical secretary and her father is still a dentist. Her brother is in college and works for the Golden State Warriors. Her sister is an event coordinator in the bay area.
The best part is, here comes the bride down the isle side. Where is the groom he’s playing hockey in the dresser room. Okay this is not only half true. Kristi married Brett Hedican. He plays hockey for the Florida Panthers. They have no children, so far. She still is skating with stars on ice, and is the co-star of stars on ice. She still does commercials two are for Smart Ones and Got Milk. She is now 32 years old, and still has a great love for
AMATURE
1992-Winter Olympics-1st, World Championships-1st, U.S. Nationals-1st
1991-Trophee Lalique-2nd, skate America-2nd, World Campionships-1st, U.S. Natonals-2nd,
1990-Nations Cup-1st, Sate America-1st, Goodwill Games-1st, World Championships-4th, World Championships-5th [pairs], U.S. Nationals-1st [pairs], U.S. Nationals-2nd
1989- World Championships-6th, U.S. Nationals-1st [pairs], U.S.nationals-2nd
1988-U.S. Nationals-10th, Skate Amarica-2nd
1987- World Jr. Championships-1st, World Jr. Pairs-1s
PROFESSINAL
1997- world Pro Champion ships-1st, U.S. Pro Championships-1st
1996-Pro Skater Of The Year, World Pro Championships-1st, Golden Championships-1st, U.S. Pro Championships-1st
1995- Golden Championships-1st
1994- World Pro Championships-1st, Golden Championships-1st
1993- World Pro Championships-2nd, Challenge Of Championships
1992- World Pro Championships-1st, Challenge Of Championships-1st
okay it was kind of surprising that Kristi married a hockey player. But it really does not matter because she had followed her heart. Another thing she followed her heart with is skating. I know that all the great things that she has done she has a lot to look back at and be proud of.