Current:Home > FinanceHow Kristi Yamaguchi’s Trailblazing Win Led to Her Own Barbie Doll-InfoLens
How Kristi Yamaguchi’s Trailblazing Win Led to Her Own Barbie Doll
View Date:2024-12-23 13:00:14
Kristi Yamaguchi left France with more than just a gold medal.
The figure skater also became the first Asian American woman ever to win at the Winter Olympics. But she didn't step on the ice 32 years ago expecting to make history.
"At 20, it was kind of overwhelming, like, 'Oh, wow, what just happened?'" Kristi told E! News in an exclusive interview. "I remember feeling the incredible support and the pride from the Asian American community."
But while the 52-year-old has cemented a prolific legacy in the three decades since that iconic moment, winning gold at the 1992 Winter Olympics remains a moment that stands out—for her and Olympic history. And now it's a moment immortalized forever. Kristi now has her very own Barbie doll—donning her black leotard with dazzling gold accents and her black and red bouquet—as part of Mattel's Inspiring Women series for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
"It was surreal to see the doll finished," she recalled. "It's like, 'Wow, that's my 20-year-old self.'"
In reaching this achievement, she couldn't help but reflect on other pioneers, like the late Anna May Wong, the first Asian American actress, who was honored with a doll last year.
"Looking back," the Dream Big, Little Pig! author explained, "I have a greater appreciation for the generations before me, who paved the way for that to be able to happen."
"It's incredible to have the opportunity to inspire other young girls out there," she continued. "With all the challenges they face and the things they overcome, having role models out there where they can think, 'Hey, if they can overcome it, if they can have a big dream, so can I.'"
Kristi knows this experience first-hand as she's previously reflected on bringing her Dorothy Hamill Barbie doll to the rink as a child, hoping to one day follow in the famed Olympian's footsteps.
But her doll wasn't just a toy or decoration—it was motivation.
"As a 6-year-old, there was something meaningful to me about having Dorothy's doll next to me as I would jump, fall and pick myself back up again," Kristi recently wrote in an essay for USA Today. "She was there for me, reminding me of my dream and inspiring me."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (9237)
Related
- Amazon Prime Video to stream Diamond Sports' regional networks
- Jury awards $700k to Seattle protesters jailed for writing anti-police slogans in chalk on barricade
- 16 Nobel Prize-winning economists warn that Trump's economic plans could reignite inflation
- E! Staff Tries Juliette Has A Gun: Is This the Brand’s Best Perfume?
- Shawn Mendes Confesses He and Camila Cabello Are No Longer the Closest
- Homeland Security says border arrests fall more than 40% since Biden’s halt to asylum processing
- US military shows reporters pier project in Gaza as it takes another stab at aid delivery
- States fail to track abuses in foster care facilities housing thousands of children, US says
- Jennifer Lopez Gets Loud in Her First Onstage Appearance Amid Ben Affleck Divorce
- Jury awards $700k to Seattle protesters jailed for writing anti-police slogans in chalk on barricade
Ranking
- Man waives jury trial in killing of Georgia nursing student
- Consolidated, ‘compassionate’ services pledged for new Illinois Department of Early Childhood
- Biden and Trump are set to debate. Here’s what their past performances looked like
- Miley Cyrus Channels Hannah Montana Era During Rare Outing With Boyfriend Maxx Morando
- Why Suits' Gabriel Macht Needed Time Away From Harvey Specter After Finale
- Where Todd Chrisley's Appeal Stands After Julie's Overturned Prison Sentence
- In Karen Read’s murder trial, was it deadly romance or police corruption? Jurors must decide
- 'The Notebook' actress Gena Rowlands has Alzheimer's disease, son says
Recommendation
-
1 dead, 2 children injured in wrong-way crash; driver suspected of DWI: Reports
-
Vanderpump Rules Star Lala Kent Shares Pregnancy-Safe Skincare, Mom Hacks, Prime Day Deals & More
-
The 2024 Denim Trends That You'll Want to Style All Year Long (and They Fit like a Jean Dream)
-
Princess Anne Experiencing Memory Loss Related to Hospitalization
-
2 dead in explosion at Kentucky factory that also damaged surrounding neighborhood
-
'The Bear' Season 3: New release date, time, cast, trailer, where to watch
-
Florida Panthers' 30-year wait over! Cats make history, win Stanley Cup
-
Mom of Texas teen murdered in 2001 says killer's execution will be 'joyful occasion'