When I started skating at 6 years old, I liked Dorothy Hamill so much that I had a Dorothy doll and would put it on the edge of the rink(溜冰场) to watch me skate on the ice. There was something meaningful to me about having the doll next to me as I would jump, fall and pick myself back up again. It was there inspiring me to never give up.
Fourteen years later, I followed Dorothy's path to become the first American woman figure skater (花样滑冰运动员) to win Olympic gold since she did it in 1976. And now, three decades later, Barbie (芭比娃娃) is honoring me with my own doll as the newest addition to its InspiringWomen Series.
Six-year-old me never would have imagined I'd be where I am today. But I made it because I was able to discover my dreams as a young girl. My Dorothy doll had the power — it was not just a piece of decoration on the ice rink; it inspired me to dream big and work hard.
When I achieved my dream, I felt like giving children chances to find their dreams and pursue them. Through working with children and raising my own girls, I quickly realized a child's success in life starts with a school education and an interest in reading. A book is more than just a book, just like what the Dorthy doll meant to me. That's where dreams are born. When children open up a book, they open up their world.
So in 1996, I established Always Dream, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve children's reading by providing access to books and encouraging families to read together. If I can do more for other young girls, not only with my Barbie Inspiring Women doll, but also with what I'm doing now, that just might be the biggest gold medal of all.
