Not many people can say their hero is also their mentor — let alone a close friend — but those rules do not apply for Chen. Growing up in the same hometown as Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, Chen developed a tight-knit bond with the skating icon early on in her career.
As a preteen, she remembers Yamaguchi making surprise practice visits and giving her pointers. Their relationship eventually blossomed into a friendship, especially when Chen asked her to write the forward for her book Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice. "I knew that as long as I asked, she would do anything to help me," she told KSDK News. Outside of the rink, they also volunteer together.
