Olympic champion stops by Old Mill Road

Third-graders at Old Mill Road Elementary School in North Merrick gathered at the front entrance of the school, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Olympic figure skating gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi on Wednesday afternoon. When Yamaguchi, 40, entered the school minutes later, she was met by an exuberant greeting from the students to welcome her.

“Thank you to Old Mill Road School for that incredible welcome,” she later said. “That was so amazing and probably one of the best welcomes I've ever gotten."

As Yamaguchi walked the hall to the school’s gymnasium, children and teachers peeked out of their classrooms to catch a glimpse of the champion figure skater. It was clearly a big moment for the school.

Old Mill Road hosted a special assembly for Yamaguchi, at which she read her latest children’s book, published by Source Books, “It’s a Big World, Little Pig!” The book, Yamaguchi’s second in a series, is about a young pig named Poppy, who dreams of becoming a famous figure skater. “It’s all about her going on her first international trip, being anxious about traveling and meeting friends from all over the world,” said Yamaguchi.

The book is based around Yamaguchi’s experiences at international skating competitions when she was a teenager. “It’s about one of my first experiences traveling internationally and meeting new friends, making lifelong friendships at that very first competition when I was 14,” she said.

Yamaguchi won her gold medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertsville, France, when she was 20. Before that, she had taken first in the World Figure Skating Championships in 1991 and 1992, in Munich, Germany, and Oakland, California, respectively. Most recently, she gained national attention by winning ABC’s celebrity dance competition, “Dancing With the Stars,” in 2008.

The Old Mill Road PTA set up Yamaguchi’s visit through Barnes and Noble, as Yamaguchi is embarking on a tour to promote her book. The assembly was an extension of the school’s Parents as Reading Partners program, for which parents read to children at school.

Yamaguchi fielded questions from the young audience in the gym. She said she started skating when she was 6, and her book took about a year to produce. Her children, Emma, 6, and Keara, 8, inspired her write it, she said.

“It’s fun, that’s why I wrote the book,” said Yamaguchi. “To give kids a fun story and a positive message as well. It’s awesome to share the book with all the kids.”

As the assembly wound down, Yamaguchi offered one last message before autographing copies of her book in the hall. “Always dream big, stay smiling and study hard,” she advised the children.