I’m Guy Kawasaki, and this is Remarkable People. This episode’s remarkable guest is Kristi Yamaguchi.
I’m on a Yamaguchi streak right now. To my knowledge, she is not related to Roy Yamaguchi, the chef, and recent Remarkable People guest.
She may not have won a James Beard award, but she did win the Olympic figure skating championship in 1992 as well as the world championship in 1991 and 1992.
She didn’t do too badly in pairs either–with Rudy Galindo she won the 1988 World Junior Championship and the pairs national championship in 1989 and 1990.
Since then, she’s raised two daughters with her husband, professional hockey player Bret Hedican. Oh, and she won the 2008 Dancing with the Stars competition and started a foundation to help young people.
You’d think that her daughters, with the DNA of an Olympic gold medalist and an NHL Allstar, Stanley Cup winner, would both gravitate, if not rock, figure skating or hockey. But you’ll never guess what sport her oldest daughter has embraced. Keep listening to find out.
Yamaguchi was born in Hayward, California. Her grandparents were interned during WWII, like 120,000 other Japanese and Japanese-Americans at the time. She is sansei–third-generation Japanese American.
She once agreed to teach me how to do a triple lutz to celebrate scoring a goal in pickup hockey, but that never happened. I mean, she didn’t teach me the triple lutz, not I never scored in pickup hockey.
I’m Guy Kawasaki, and this is Remarkable People. And now here is Kristi Yamaguchi.

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very nice indeed
Great interview with Kristi. Love her humble background and the stories she shares about her mom.
A heart full of grace and love. Stay safe and healthy.