Kristi Yamaguchi is charting a fresh course with optimism and grace following the end of her 23-year marriage to former NHL player Bret Hedican. The Olympic gold medalist, now 54, views this transition not as an ending but as the beginning of an exciting new phase.
“I'm looking forward to what is around the corner, or what the future could look like,” Yamaguchi recently shared. “There’s a lot of life left to live, whether it's starting to date or new relationships, but also just personally enjoying where I am right now and the opportunities ahead.”
Reflecting on her marriage, which quietly concluded in 2023, Yamaguchi holds no regrets. “We’ve got a beautiful family and incredible memories,” she said, “but I’m looking forward to creating new ones.” The couple shares two daughters, Keara, 22, and Emma, 20, whom Yamaguchi describes as the center of her world.
This isn’t the first time Yamaguchi has navigated a major life pivot. After becoming the first Asian-American woman to win Winter Olympic gold in figure skating in 1992, she faced the uncertainty of what came next. “Was this my last moment on competitive ice? And what's going to happen after?” she recalled thinking on the podium in Albertville, France. The experience, she noted, was “a little bittersweet.”
Her transition to professional skating with Stars on Ice felt like starting over. “I'm on the bottom step of the ladder now,” she remembered. Yet, it allowed her to grow as a performer beyond competitive routines. “That was super fulfilling when I finally got to skate professionally, because beyond competitive routines I was able to explore other genres.”
Yamaguchi and Hedican first met during those 1992 Olympics, where he was competing for the U.S. men’s hockey team. They reconnected years later and married in Hawaii in July 2000. After retiring from touring in 2002, Yamaguchi embraced motherhood with the same dedication she brought to the ice. “My transition was really quick, going from my professional focus on me and then becoming a mom,” she said, “but I was so ready for it.”
Motherhood brought profound joy. “I now know what complete unconditional love is,” Yamaguchi expressed in a past interview. “I understand how parents will do anything in their power for the benefit of their children.” She cherished simple moments like “cuddling, seeing them laugh and smile, seeing them learn something new and the fascination that comes with it.”
While balancing her nonprofit, Always Dream, and occasional performances—including a Dancing With the Stars win in 2008—Yamaguchi prioritized letting her daughters find their own paths. “I was a terrible skating mom,” she joked, noting she avoided pushing them into the sport. “The mother-daughter [coaching] thing, can't do that.”
Now, with her daughters grown and pursuing their own lives, Yamaguchi faces an empty nest alongside her divorce. She describes this period as “bittersweet” but also “fulfilling to see them spreading their wings.” The family remains close, enjoying trips together, including a recent journey to Italy for the Olympics.
Yamaguchi’s approach to this new chapter is rooted in the resilience she built through her skating career. “Finding resilience, building that up and realizing that, OK, with every failure I have, it's not going to kill you,” she reflected. “You're going to survive it and find a way to move on from it to become stronger and better.”
She acknowledges that public perception often focuses on triumphs, much like social media highlights. “People see the shiny ending, the successes,” she noted. “That's not real life... There's a lot of challenges, obstacles, overcoming downs along the way.”
As she looks ahead, Yamaguchi remains focused on growth and new experiences, embodying the perseverance that has defined her life both on and off the ice.