Olympic Gold Medalists making a difference

Have you ever had one of those moments where you can't believe what just happened? I did. As a child I used to watch two things on TV and again on VHS tapes... the first, the Miss Hawaii Scholarship Pageant. I can remember as far back as the early 90's watching Hawaii's finest young ladies showcase their talents and beauty on stage and on live TV. The second, figure skating. You'd think growing up on Kauai I wouldn't have any interest in ice skating since there's no skating rink. But, I used to rollerblade in my driveway and fantasize about being a professional figure skater. Truth be told those dreams did not come to fruition. But the memories of watching America's greatest skaters always remained. I had to pinch myself today because I met two of those skaters. America's darling and what a sweetheart she is Krisit Yamaguchi and the stunningly handsome and down to earth Brian Boitano are in town to announce a very special skating concert to be held at the Blaisdell this November.  Brian Boitano is a figure skating legend. The San Francisco resident held the titles of Olympic Champion, World Champion and the U.S. National Champion in the mid to late 80's. Kristi Yamaguchi also captured gold during the Olympics and at the World Championships in the early 90's and she also went on the win several professional figure skating championships after her time spent skating as an amateur. 

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You can see how excited I was to meet THE Kristi Yamaguchi

What a dream come true to have Brian Boitano here on Oahu, skating for us!

My good friend Melissa Chang asked me if I would be open to taking a skating lesson with Kristi and boy was that amazing. I have not skated on ice in years and arrived a bit early so I could possibly get my bearings, but alas I didn't have the chance to practice. For the video and the experience, stay tuned to FrolicHawaii.com -- it was AMAZING!

Photo Credit: Melissa Chang

Yamaguchi and Boitano have paired up to produce a show stopping  ice skating (fundraising) event November 20 and 21. The first professional ice skating show to come to the islands in 2-decades. The who's who of the figure skating world will gather at the Blasidell for this amazing concert.

GOLDEN MOMENT will showcase incredible professional skaters: 
Gold Medalists: Kristi Yamaguchi (Albertville), Brian Boitano (Calgary), Meryl Davis and Charlie White (Sochi), Shizuka Arakawa (Turin) and Katia Gordeeva (Calgary) 

World Champions: Kurt Browning, Yuka Sato and Miki Ando (I totally remember each of these skaters - OMG)

National Champions: Takeshi Honda and Jeremy Abbott 

The proceeds raised from this family-friendly event benefit childhood literacy. Yamaguchi, a mother of two girls, started the Always Dream Foundation aimed at promoting literacy for keiki and she has also partnered with several local organizations. The money raised in Hawaii also stays in Hawaii! 

More info on the event and Chang's brief Q&A  with Yamaguchi click this link http://www.frolichawaii.com/stories/golden-moment-qa-with-kristi-yamaguchi/

For tickets - visit http://www.ticketmaster.com
For more on the non-profit and what these phenomenal athletes are up to now - visit: https://www.alwaysdream.org