I don't know how many people really knew who I was before the Olympics and that's the fun thing of the Olympics - you get to know someone who captures your heart, hopefully. Kristi Yamaguchi More Quotes by Kristi Yamaguchi More Quotes From Kristi Yamaguchi An athlete gains so much knowledge by just participating in a sport. Focus, discipline, hard work, goal setting and, of course, the thrill of finally achieving your goals. These are all lessons in life. Kristi Yamaguchi life-lesson hard-work sports Every day, someone realizes a dream. I believe dreams help light our darkness and give us the push we need to move across the rink of life. Kristi Yamaguchi dream sports believe I'd try to channel my nervous energy in a positive way into strength and endurance. It didn't always work. Kristi Yamaguchi endurance energy trying At 6 years old, the ice became a place for me to express myself. Because I was so shy off the ice, it became my safe haven, with music and freedom and self-expression. That was my emotional outlet. Kristi Yamaguchi safe-haven emotional self I learned to put 100 percent into what you're doing. I learned about setting goals for yourself, knowing where you want to be and taking small steps toward those goals. I learned about adversity and how to get past it. Kristi Yamaguchi adversity knowing past I've realized how precious life is. When I was younger, I was more adventurous. I felt invincible. I was game for everything. As a mom, I don't want to get injured because then I can't take care of my kids. Kristi Yamaguchi mom games kids I'm always looking for inspiring ways to stay motivated and stay active. Kristi Yamaguchi stay-motivated motivated way I never wanted to feel I hadn't worked hard enough. Kristi Yamaguchi enough wanted feels Once you have a child, your heart is forever outside your body. I totally understand that now. Kristi Yamaguchi forever heart children Being an athlete, you know how to train and prepare your body for a performance and you're able to do it under pressure. Kristi Yamaguchi body athlete motivational I always try to start out with some type of goal. Then I work backward and think of what I need to do to get there, and give myself smaller goals that are more immediate Kristi Yamaguchi goal giving thinking Now, I am thrilled to be a wife and mother, and I hope to be as good of a mother as my own mother, Carole. Kristi Yamaguchi wives-and-mothers wife mother Childhood reading is so important. Kristi Yamaguchi childhood important reading There are two or three performances in your life that are absolutely on, where all the planets are lined up for you and you feel you're invincible. Kristi Yamaguchi planets three two I feel like I missed out on the regular high school social life, but that's the way I chose to be. Kristi Yamaguchi social way school Training for the Olympics was a lifelong endeavor and took many years. Kristi Yamaguchi olympics training years As a teenager especially, I just wanted to do my thing and not be noticed. Kristi Yamaguchi teenager wanted Probably a few weeks after I was born I started having casts put on my legs to straighten them out. After that corrective shoes and with a brace in between. Kristi Yamaguchi legs week shoes The skaters a lot of times do their own hair and makeup before they compete. That was always kind of a ritual...that calming, quiet time where you can just do your hair and makeup. And then I would always lace up my right skate before my left one. Kristi Yamaguchi lace makeup hair Figure skaters have awful perceptions of hockey players. Kristi Yamaguchi hockey perception player
