Having a conversation with Olympic gold medalist, philanthropist and mother of two Kristi Yamaguchi is, just as you might expect, as thrilling as the life of the woman herself. Her Campus landed an interview with her one afternoon recently and while learning all about her new Power Workout DVD, discovered her secrets for staying active and motivated in everyday life. Find out below what the Power Workout can do for you, and don’t miss her advice for collegiettes™ on the go!
Her Campus:
What encouraged you to make your own workout DVD?
Kristi Yamaguchi:
If I didn’t have time to go to the gym or something I’d tend to turn on Fit TV or another fitness program. I wanted to make an exercise DVD for busy working women or moms and so I teamed up with Acacia. This workout is geared toward that demographic and you have the option to do the full circuit or just do portions of it.
It’s a fun way to stay active, and it will hopefully help women find motivation to stay active as well. It’s a fun workout; I’m in the video with my trainer Erin O’Brien. She’s fantastic, she doesn’t back down, and she doesn’t give up on me whatsoever. It’s just fun to have a workout with someone else and hopefully people will find it interesting and it’ll challenge them to stay fit.
HC:
What is your biggest challenge in getting motivated to work out?
KY:
It’s always fun to have a challenge in front of you and if you have something in that challenge I think is motivating in itself.
HC:
How do you find time for fitness in your busy schedule?
KY:
If I wait too long in the day I might be tempted to put it off so I try to make it a priority. Sometimes I’ll wait until the girls are in school so I have more time to focus on fitness.
HC:
You’re an inspiration to so many people. What inspires you?
KY:
Being a mom now inspires me, and I’m inspired by my kids and their interests. I’m also inspired by other athletes out there who are doing good in the community.
HC:
What is a typical day like for you?
KY:
I’m not sure there’s a typical day, but I guess a typical day would be at home. The kids are my priority, so getting up in the morning, getting them off to school and then having some time to myself, either exercising or getting active somehow and then doing some work whether it’s emails or stuff pertaining to the foundation and then in the afternoon my girls have their various activities, whether it’s gymnastics or dance.
HC:
Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
KY:
Scott Hamilton for sure. He is a trainer and founder of Stars on Ice, and when I turned professional I joined that tour. He and several other seasoned professionals were already on the tour. I think they were just incredible role models. He took me under his wing, mentored me and taught me a lot about the professional skating world. He gave good advice whether he said it to me or showed me, and just guided me and enabled me to have a very fulfilling professional career.
HC:
If you could give one piece of advice to young college-aged women, what would it be?
KY:
No regrets. Knowing when I skated I didn’t want to have any regrets that I didn’t work hard enough or I didn’t do this or that, I never wanted to have to fall back on an excuse. You have to put in the work to find success. So try to find a balance and don’t bite off anymore than you can chew but also ultimately not having any regrets.
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