Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi Inspires Barbie Doll

BAY AREA — Revered Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi grew up in Fremont playing with Barbie dolls. While her childhood was filled with endless practices and commutes to-and-from the ice rink, her down time included cherished Barbies.

Yamaguchi was even home schooled for a time to focus on figure skating, but graduated from Mission San Jose High School.

Just a few years later, the 20-year-old Yamaguchi stood atop the winners podium at the 1992 Olympics with a gold medal around her neck.

This week, Mattel unveiled a Barbie that copies her Olympics look.

Mattel duplicated everything that she wore in Albertville, France including the sparkling black-and-gold brocade outfit designed by Lauren Sheehan, a gold hair ribbon and a red-and-white bouquet like Yamaguchi held on the podium.

Yamaguchi said both she and Sheehan are “just so tickled pink."

“It looks like me for sure. You know, the eyes and just the shape of the face. And then, of course, the hair, for sure. I mean, it has the bangs that are the '90s,” Yamaguchi said, chuckling.

She appreciates that the doll's release comes on the heels of the blockbuster “Barbie” movie last year. Her daughters, ages 18 and 20, are fans of the Oscar-nominated film. Their initial reaction to their mother being a Barbie? Disbelief.

“When they found out I was getting a doll, they were kind of flabbergasted and being like, ‘What? Like Mom, like how do you qualify? But that’s way too cool for you,’” Yamaguchi said.

Yamaguchi and her husband, retired Stanley Cup-winning NHL player Bret Hedican, raised their girls in the Tri-Valley enclave of Alamo.

Now more than 30 years have passed since her golden glory. Yamaguchi started her own nonprofit organization in 1996, the Always Dream Foundation, and has written award-winning children's books. Her name is often associated with local charitable events.

Yamaguchi is thrilled that Mattel is adding new shine to her medal-winning legacy with a Barbie, which is part of the Inspiring Women Series. The release is timed for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, or AAPI, in May.

“It’s a huge, huge honor. I think a lot of pride comes along with it, not just recognizing the Olympic achievement, but also being recognized during AAPI Month and following in the footsteps of some incredible women that I idolize — Anna May Wong, Maya Angelou and Rosa Parks,” Yamaguchi told The Associated Press. “It's hard to see me put in the category with them.”

While Barbie may seem like just a toy, it's so much more for Yamaguchi.

“When kids see themselves or see someone who inspires them, then it just opens up their world and their imagination to what’s possible," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article