A Figure Skater's Influence on Society

713 Words2 Pages

Today in society, influential people can alter how people live their everyday lives in either a pleasant or an immoral manner. Athletes, such as famous Olympic figure skater, Kristi Yamaguchi, created a lasting impact on people everywhere. The way that athletes cope with their challenges and reach their goals is an important factor in the works of influencing a nation. An athlete’s extraordinary capabilities are another component of influencing a population. Another style that is used by influential people is having the quality of integrity to make a moral influence for others. In addition, society is altered by athletes who are able to dedicate other parts of their life to the benefit the media and public. Kristi Yamaguchi has made an impact on society through her ability to overcome strenuous challenges, utilize her charismatic and artistic skating technique, her involvement in public outreach programs and charities, and because of her talented devotion to whatever she does.
Kristi Yamaguchi had to overcome an abundance of challenges before she was made into an Olympic figure skater. First off, she was born with clubbed feet, a birth defect in which both of her feet were curved or slanted inward. Kristi started figure skating as a therapy to heal her feet, but she came to love the sport and stuck with it. When the famous Olympian shares her story to her fans everywhere, she inspires them to overcome their challenges and not to stop striving for success.
Kristi Yamaguchi has also been able to overcome diversity in the world of skating. Being the first ever figure skater of American-Asian descent to win an Olympic gold medal, she showed people that typecasting or prejudice would not exist in figure skating. She demonstrated tha...

... middle of paper ...

...undation, 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2014 .
Brennan, Christine. "Kristi Yamaguchi Is Still Winning." USA Today. Gannett, 31 Jan. 2014.
Web. 03 Feb. 2014 .
Hoppes, Lynn. "Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi to Read on Facebook." ESPN. ESPN Internet
Ventures, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014 .
"Kristi Yamaguchi: Olympic Medalist, Fitness Guru And Mom." NPR. NPR, 26 Apr. 2011.
Web. 03 Feb. 2014 .
Riss, Suzanne, and Copyright 2010 Working Mother Media All Rights Reserved. "'92 Olympian Yamaguchi Balances Road, Family." CNN. Cable News Network, 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 06 Feb. 2014
.

Open Document