#905 Flowing with Kristi Yamaguchi

Bruce Lee Podcast

Shannon Lee

Bruce, Philosophy, Podcast, Lee, Tv & Film, Shannon, Society & Culture

4.8 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 May 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week on the special edition Bruce Lee Foundation takeover of the Bruce Lee Podcast for the month of May, Shannon is honored to welcome Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi to the show.

Everyone knows Kristi as a champion on the ice, but in her years since winning gold she has also become a devoted author, philanthropist, and lifelong advocate for youth literacy. Born in California to Japanese-American parents, Kristi’s mother was born in a WWII internment camp while her grandfather served as a U.S. Army lieutenant. Kristi’s journey reflects strength across generations and is one of legacy and service.

Kristi shares how a treasured Dorothy Hamill doll ignited her early passion for skating, and what it felt like to meet her idol moments before the biggest performance of her life. She also reflects on her touring years with Stars On Ice.

Kristi opens up about the values her parents instilled in her around service and gratitude—and how those principles ultimately led her to found Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream, a nonprofit dedicated to early literacy and family engagement. Through her foundation, Kristi is helping ensure that children in underserved communities not only have access to high-quality books, but also the support needed to build a lifelong love of reading.

Finally, Kristi opens up about a new passion she’s been engaged in, and it’s VERY Bruce Lee of her! Join Shannon and get to know how Kristi is continuing to shape an inspiring legacy that continues across generations!

Show notes and more episodes at Brucelee.com/Podcast

Connect with Kristi….

Website: www.alwaysdream.org

Instagram: @kristiyamaguchi | @alwaysdream

Facebook: Kristi Yamaguchi | Kristi Yamaguchi's Always Dream

X: @kristiyamaguchi

Transcript

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0:00.0	On this episode of the Bruce Lee Foundation takeover of the Bruceley podcast for the month of May,
0:07.3	which is AANHPI Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, we are talking to Olympic gold medalist,
0:17.4	author, philanthropist, and lifelong advocate for youth and literacy. Christy Yamaguchi.
0:26.0	Christy Yamaguchi is, you know, a name that I think any of us who were around when she was
0:36.9	competing in the Olympics,
0:39.3	and forward since that point, we all know her name.
0:43.3	We all know her grace.
0:45.2	We all know her ability and her competition chops.
0:50.4	And I know I have been astounded by her, and I've had the good fortune to meet her several times
1:01.1	and get to know her a little bit, and she is just a lovely human being.
1:07.2	She really has this dedication to service that was instilled in her by her parents,
1:15.4	which you will learn about in this episode. After competing in the Olympics and winning the
1:22.0	gold medal, she went on to a professional career in skating, touring with stars on ice.
1:29.3	And she talks about that transition from competition athlete to professional performer and
1:36.6	what that was like.
1:38.5	And then from there about how growing her family led to writing children's books, which led to a love of reading,
1:50.6	and wanting to pass on that gift to others through her nonprofit, Always Dream.
1:56.9	Always Dream is an early literacy and family engagement program that gets kids reading early
2:03.5	and works with the whole family to engage in coaching great readers and family reading time.
2:13.1	It is an amazing thing that she has accomplished, and she's an amazing human being.
2:21.4	When I asked her what her latest passion was, you will be excited to discover that it is very much in line
2:32.7	with what we at the Bruceley Foundation are all about.
	...

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