Being the figure skating fan that I am, you just
know I have to 'step up' for my girl Kristi.
Not only another Olympic Gold Medalist, but I think it's about time a lady took home the trophy. (Although Kristi, I'm sure there is
NO WAY that ugly mirror ball trophy is gonna go with your decor!
)
You Go Girl!
For Yamaguchi, show is a delicate danceDanny Hooley, Staff Writer
Things are about to get mighty hectic in North Raleigh's relatively tranquil Hedican-Yamaguchi household.
Dad Bret Hedican is looking to help his Carolina Hurricanes get to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Mom Kristi Yamaguchi is hoping to tango to victory on television's "Dancing With the Stars."
And daughters Keara Kiyomi, 4, and Emma Yoshiko, 2, are about to have their routines disrupted.
"I'm a little anxious now," said Yamaguchi, the gold medal-winning figure skater, who was announced this week as a contestant on the ABC show's sixth season. "It's a whole different world."
She's a fan of the program, in which celebrities are paired with professionals to perform ballroom dances. One couple is voted off each week, based on judges' scores and viewers' votes. Celebrities are paid for taking part, and the winner gets a trophy.
Yamaguchi, 36, was inclined to say yes when she got the offer around Christmas. But there were considerations, such as where her daughters will stay while she's in Los Angeles for the show and Hedican is traveling with the Hurricanes. That's still being worked out.
"Yeah, it's going to get a little crazy," admits Hedican, a defenseman. "But you know what? ... Kristi's really sacrificed a lot for me, obviously, the last four years -- having our kids, and kind of putting her career on hold. For me to be able to support her in what she wants to do is great."
Already, Yamaguchi is scrambling. This week, she's flown to Chicago and back for an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Media inquiries have been relentless. And she's begun practicing with the professional dancer she'll be paired with, Mark Ballas.
He's been been in Raleigh since last weekend, and the two have started slowly with dances such as the foxtrot in two-hour sessions at a North Raleigh studio.
One of the first orders of business is breaking some of Yamaguchi's skater habits, such as her tendency to propel her legs outward. In ballroom dancing, Ballas explains, dancers must keep the legs closed, perfectly parallel, with no gaps.
"Everything in skating is flat-footed," Ballas explains. "In ballroom dancing, she has to know when and where, on the beat, to do a heel lead and a toe lead. She's really having to use her feet, which she's never had to do before."
Ballas and Yamaguchi figure the biggest threats among the celebrities will be R&B singer Mario, who was trained in hip-hop dance, and stage actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, who won a Tony Award as Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray" on Broadway.
The other nine competitors are comedian Adam Carolla; actresses Shannon Elizabeth, Priscilla Presley and Marlee Matlin; actors Cristián de la Fuente and Steve Guttenberg, magician Penn Jillette; tennis star Monica Seles and NFL star Jason Taylor.
A skater till now
Yamaguchi began a lifelong dedication to skating at 6, when she would show up at San Francisco rinks by 5 a.m. to practice.
By 18, she had won two national titles for pairs skating. She then won the world championship in singles in 1991, followed by the Olympic gold medal in 1992.
It was there, in Albertville, France, that she met Hedican, a member of the U.S. ice hockey team. They married in 2000, and Yamaguchi continued touring with "Stars On Ice," which she had been with for eight years.
Their often long-distance relationship settled into a more routine lifestyle in 2002, when Hedican was signed to the Hurricanes and Yamaguchi left the skating show. They moved into a $610,000 home in North Raleigh near Interstate 540. Keara was born in 2003, followed by Emma in 2005.
In addition to taking care of the girls and cheering Hedican through the Canes' 2006 Stanley Cup win, Yamaguchi has run her Always Dream Foundation for children in need and served as an ambassador for the Be Active North Carolina fitness program.
Millions more eyes
Next week, she and Ballas fly to Los Angeles for taping of the title shots of "Dancing," then it's back to Raleigh for more practice until mid-March. The show premieres at 8 p.m. March 17. From then on, couples will have a mere four days to learn each new routine.
For that reason, says Ballas, Yamaguchi is better off not trying to travel much between L.A. and Raleigh while on the show.
As for Hedican, his team will have about 10 regular-season games left once his wife leaves Raleigh. It's likely the only way he'll be able to see her is if the Hurricanes fail to make the playoffs in April (or get eliminated early), or Yamaguchi is eliminated from the show before then.
It's probably too early to speculate much about Yamaguchi's future possibilities, such as a spot on the next North American "Dancing With The Stars" tour.
For now, there's just the thrill and uncertainty of 25 million pairs of eyes watching her every Monday and Tuesday night -- a far cry from being recognized by a few people as she shops for shoes at Durham's Streets at Southpoint mall.
"I was getting comfortable living my life here in Raleigh, so this is going to be a huge change," she says.
danny.hooley@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-4728[/quote]
ack!!! 
MODIFY * DELETE * MODIFY * DELETE * MODIFY * DELETE * MODIFY * DELETE * MODIFY 
!!! 
Sorry.]
~Lori