Kristi Yamaguchi always looked poised and perfect on television. But, she had a secret. She was afraid to speak in public. Kristi wrote about her fear in, "Pure Grace" the January 2013 Guideposts cover story.
Born with club feet, Kristi spent the first 18 months of her life in plaster casts. Then, she wore corrective shoes with a metal bar connecting them.
Kristi did ballet and baton twirling. When she tried figure skating, she was a natural. She watched other skaters on television. However, she never wanted to be interviewed like them after a competition. Eventually, Kristi got over her shyness by slowly talking to people in public.
Kristi became a Junior American champion and won the Olympic gold in Albertville in 1992. To her, talking to the press afterward was her biggest accomplishment.
Kristi lives with her husband Bret and their two daughters Emma and Keara. She has appeared on ABC's Dancing With the Stars.
In St. Paul, Guideposts is available where most inspirational magazines are sold. To receive future St. Paul Magazine Examiner articles from Examiner.com, click "Subscribe."
