Kristi Yamaguchi is a legendary figure skater who won many world championships and Olympic gold in 1992. In her personal life, the great figure skater has also won. She is currently married to Bret Hedican, a former NHL player.
The couple has two lovely daughters who are already in their late teens. They come from a successful family since both parents are well-known in their respective sports and beyond. For example, Yamaguchi is one of the great figure skaters of the past, having created a name for herself during one of the sport’s most competitive eras.
Bret had a roller-coaster career with many highs and a significant number of lows. His career highs came in 1992 and 2006 when he represented the United States at the Olympics, and in 2006, when he won the Stanley Cup with the California Hurricanes. His lows were primarily due to his injuries.
Many people are curious to know more about Kristi Yamaguchi’s husband, Bret Hedican and where did she meet Bret? This is everything we can tell you about the couple.
How Did Kristi Yamaguchi and Bret Hedican Met?
Kristi Yamaguchi and Bret Hedican were both Olympic athletes who met at the Games. Hedican and Yamaguchi married on July 8, 2000, after meeting in the 1992 Olympics, in which they both participated. Following that, the newlyweds settled in Raleigh, North Carolina, home of Hedican’s team, the Carolina Hurricanes. The couple and their two daughters currently reside in Almo, California.
In 2003, three years after their wedding, they welcomed their first child, Keara Kiyomi. Except for the fact that she just started college, little is known about her. She is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles’ School of Theatre, Film, and Television.
Emma Yoshiko, her younger sister, was born two years later, on November 16, 2005. She is said to have followed in her mother’s footsteps. The mother-daughter team has skated together multiple times.
The member of the US Olympic Hall of Fame spoke about the couple‘s parenting, saying,-
My husband and I both wanted to let our daughters find their own path at their own time and encourage them to try a lot of things to see what sparked their interest.
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Bret’s Professional Career: He Retired in 2009
Hedican Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi’s other half, was born on August 10, 1970, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He grew up there and went to North High School, where he was an excellent athlete. He participated in a variety of sports, including soccer and football.
When it came time to go to college, he picked St. Cloud State University on an ice hockey scholarship, foregoing his chances of playing in big junior hockey. He excelled at St. Cloud State University, learning a lot along the way, and went pro a few years later.
His professional career began in 1988 when he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues. He was chosen 198th overall in the National Hockey League Entry Draft that year. However, he had to continue his growth at St. Cloud at the moment. Have a look at the Bret’s Instagram post below:
Hedican had the opportunity to play for Team USA at the 1992 Winter Olympics prior to his first professional match. Following the completion of the global sporting event, he signed a new deal with the Blues, kicking off his full-fledged professional hockey career.
He was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in his third season with the Blues. He officially joined the Canucks on March 21, 1994, and had a fairy-tale start to his campaign. They quickly rewarded him with a new two-year deal. He was traded again after five years with the franchise, this time to the Florida Panthers.
Hedican played in two Olympic games and won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes during his successful career. However, it was not always plain sailing for him, as he was continually injured, particularly in his later years. Hedican retired in 2009 after playing 1039 matches due to persistent back spasms.
Kristi Yamaguchi’s Professional Career
Yamaguchi was born on July 12, 1971, in Hayward, California, despite being of Japanese origin. She grew up in Fremont and went to Mission San Jose High School. She had started training as a figure skater at an early age, and she also included ballet in her performances.
She began her career at the 1986 U.S. Junior Championships, where she won gold in doubles, and then went on to win gold in singles at the 1987 World Junior Championships. Her junior career was marked by tremendous success in both singles and doubles with her partner, Rudy Galindo.
But when she entered her senior year of college, she narrowed her attention to her singles career. In 1991, she enrolled in the University of Alberta’s psychology program in Canada. She nevertheless went back to the United States and lost to Tonya Harding in that year’s U.S. Championships.
She defeated Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding at the World Championships in Munich, Germany, later that year. She subsequently dominated the women’s figure skating circuit in the United States for several years as a result. She initially took home the trophy at the championships in 1992.
Her 1992 victory in the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, where she faced tough opposition from her two American teammates and Japan’s Midori Ito, is arguably the most significant achievement of her career. Furthermore, that victory had more significance than just the medal; it had permanently altered her life.
Yamaguchi solidified her reputation as a household name after that. As a result of her victory, she gained celebrity status, which opened up numerous lucrative prospects for her, such as sponsorship and endorsement deals. She said, “Winning the gold opened up a lot of opportunities, other challenges that I wanted to take on and do in my life.”
