Life4Sports Blogs

The construction for the Always Dream Playpark, located in Fremont, CA has finally begun this summer.  Initial talks between the Always Dream Foundation and Fremont city official started back in October of 2007.  Centrally located in the Central Park near Lake Elizabeth in Fremont, the Always Dream Playpark will provide children with all abilities the chance to develop, exercise, and most importantly, have fun!

The design is created by MIG Inc., who focus on planning, designing and sustaining environments that support human development.  And the construction is managed by Swinerton Builders, who are actually providing their services on a PRO-BONO basis.  We all have to love that!  Swinerton Builders have over 100 years of experience building and improving some of the most well-known landmarks such as the De Young Museum and MOMA in San Francisco.

About Always Dream Foundation:
Founded in 1996 as a 501c (3), Non-Profit, Public Charity, Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation was established to support organizations that have a positive influence on children. Since its inception, the Always Dream Foundation has purchased computers for an after-school mentoring program, provided “shopping sprees” for underprivileged children to purchase back-to-school clothing, organized Holiday parties for children’s shelters and sponsored summer camp for kids with disabilities.

For more information, visit www.alwaysdream.org

About Kristi Yamaguchi:
Kristi Yamaguchi is an Olympic Gold Medalist; two-time World Champion, U.S. National Champion and a four-time World Profession Champion. She was one of the first U.S. women to compete in both pairs’ events and ladies’ singles and win pairs titles in 1989 and 1990. She and her partner, Rudy Galindo, were the 1988 World Junior Pairs Champions. Kristi also won the Junior Ladies Title that same year. Kristi also was the first American to win the Olympic Gold Medal since Dorothy Hamill in 1976. Later, as a professional, she won four titles and was honored as 1996 Skater of the Year by American Skating World. Kristi was named to the U.S. Hall of Fame by the United States Figure Skating Association and to the World Skating Hall of Fame in 1999. On December 8, 2005, Kristi was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Committee Olympic Hall of Fame.  In 2008, Yamaguchi became the celebrity champion in the sixth season of Dancing with the Stars.

Kristi’s Olympic victory encouraged millions of young American girls to strive for something better and ‘always dream.’ She has authored two book projects, Figure Skating for Dummies and Kristi Yamaguchi, Always Dream. Yamaguchi has been chosen favorite female athlete among adult fans by ESPN and Favorite Female Athlete by Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards in 1997 and 1998. In addition to her busy skating schedule and various commercial and charitable ventures, Kristi found time for love. Her July 2000 wedding to NHL star Bret Hedican drew hundreds of friends to Big Island in Hawaii. Kristi and Bret split their time among Raleigh, NC, San Francisco and Minnesota where she enjoys relaxing and spending time with her family. She and her husband welcomed their first child, daughter Keara, on October 1, 2003. Their second daughter, Emma Yoshiko Hedican, was born on November 17, 2005.