For many skating fans, the 4-foot-10 Karen Chen seemingly came out of nowhere to win the bronze medal at the 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She was so tiny on the big stage that when she went to receive her medal, champion Ashley Wagner helped her up onto the podium.
The medal-winning performance wasn’t so surprising to one viewer: Kristi Yamaguchi.
The Olympic champion has been one of Chen’s backers for the past few years. Both hail from Fremont, California, and Yamaguchi has served as a mentor of sorts to the 15-year-old ever since the two were introduced at a local rink…[Read more]