Renegades, Issue 5: Maia and Alex Shibutani (Olympic Medalists, Producers, Authors, Artists, Sports Envoys)
Creating change from the ice to the page and beyond
Maia and Alex Shibutani
2x Olympic Medalists, Hall of Fame 2023
Producers, Authors, Artists, Sports Envoys
Welcome to Renegades, a series spotlighting Asian Pacific leaders and creatives who are carving their own paths and defying stereotypes along the way.
This week, we're featuring Maia and Alex Shibutani, 2x Olympic medalists and authors, who share how their childhood passions in the creative arts led them to write, representation in Ice Dance, and why they’re focusing on young readers. Their newest book, “Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All”, is out today (April 18) and is available for purchase here.
What did you want to be when you were growing up, and how does that compare to what you do today?
Maia: When I was younger, I had a huge imagination. I wanted to be a dancer, architect, lawyer, fashion designer, and chef. That curiosity and interest in the creative arts and business is something I still balance in all of my pursuits.
Alex: Growing up, there was definitely a period of time when I wanted to be a sports journalist or anchor. I was captivated by the drama, storylines, and unpredictable nature of competition. I enjoyed writing and watched a ton of SportsCenter. Once I started skating, I realized that I loved the feeling of performing, and my understanding for what storytelling and sports could be took on a new meaning. There’s definitely a throughline that connects my childhood interests to my work in storytelling, sports, and culture now.
Before becoming known as the ShibSibs, you skated competitively as individuals. What are the differences between skating by yourself versus together?
Maia: It was much lonelier! When we teamed up, training was more fun. As we got older and the stakes increased, having someone I trusted implicitly made a huge difference.
Alex: How do I put this… Me, skating by myself? A few medals for participation. Me skating with Maia? Real medals, and lots of them! Oh yeah, and the teamwork and camaraderie aspect too, like Maia mentioned.
Besides being two-time Olympic bronze medalists, athlete ambassadors for various causes, and members of the LA2028 Olympic Athlete Advisory Commission, you’re also accomplished authors. What was the impetus to begin writing?
Maia: Creative writing is something we both enjoyed as kids. As Alex and I were coming up in our sport, we both wrote blogs and articles. When we had the chance to start writing books, it was a challenge that we wanted to embrace. Perspectives can be shifted through storytelling. We’re really proud of our middle-grade fictional series, Kudo Kids, and our first non-fiction picture book, Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All.
Alex: My love of reading, sports, and scripted television/movies definitely informed my interest in writing. Growing up in the social media era, we had unprecedented access to boundless, global written/visual communication via the internet. Maia and I used the tools and platforms to be creative and connect–we experimented with different formats that in many ways, prepared us to begin writing books. Publishing tends to be a traditional space, but we saw children’s books as an opportunity to bring our unique identity, experience, and skill set to the table. Our current objective has been to uplift, inspire, and entertain while adding to the fabric of representation in the literary world.
Your newest book, Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All, highlights 36 inspirational AAPIs across fields. How has your own Asian Pacific identity shaped your career?
Maia: In the discipline of Ice Dance (one of the five disciplines of Figure Skating), there has not been a history of diversity at the highest levels of the sport. Until we medaled twice at the Olympics in 2018, no team of color had ever been close to the Olympic podium. It’s nuanced and a lot to get into, but our identity and how we were perceived definitely shaped and continues to shape our lives.
Alex: My understanding of my identity and how it has impacted my life is ever evolving. Early on, we recognized the lack of diversity in Ice Dance. All we could do at the time was do our best to navigate a complicated world where there was not precedent for our success. The countless challenges we have faced on and off the ice have served as both a frustration AND a motivation to overcome, grow stronger, and be more empathetic. We are intentional about how we exist and strive to be thoughtful in how we represent ourselves and the various communities we are a part of.
Your series, Kudo Kids, and most recent publication, Amazing, target young audiences. Why did you decide to focus on young readers?
Maia: The stories we’re exposed to when we’re young are often the ones that really stay with us. It’s a formative time. It has been incredibly rewarding to create stories for the next generation. Something that is special about all three of our books is that families often share the experience of reading them.
Alex: Children and young adults are filled with potential. They are constantly learning, absorbing their surroundings and influences–it’s really exciting. It’s a foundational time, but that’s also what makes it so critical. It’s been said many times that if you hope to change the world for the better, it’s best to educate and invest in children. That is part of why we are focusing on young readers. The other reason is, at the moment, it just so happens to be the most fun writing approach for us. We can write for adults when we’re older and more cynical.
If you were to author a book for adult readers, what would you write about?
Maia: Generally, it’s more common for athletes to write autobiographies. We decided to start our writing career in a different way but realize that we have a LOT of stories (traumatic and humorous), techniques, and lessons that we can share with adult readers, in various formats.
Alex: I dabbled in toilet paper and poop-themed poetry during the pandemic (plugging my Instagram). Is that for adults?
But seriously, I’ll echo what Maia wrote. Our years of experience as a team, setting goals and working to achieve them in highly competitive and pressure-filled environments, taught us a lot. We have sought out every possible technique to strengthen our minds and bodies, and I think there is a lot of applicable information that translates to almost any lifestyle or occupational pursuit.
I’m actually enjoying this Q&A format (maybe a bit too much because I gleefully included “poop” just a few sentences ago). Maybe a banter-filled autobiographical self-help book is in our future.
What are you currently working on that excites you the most?
Maia: Because of the timing of this interview, I have to say Amazing. This book has been in the works for over two years. We’re incredibly proud of the work we did with our collaborators. The reception has been wonderful so far, but we realize it continues to be crunch time. Our goal is for this book to reach people of all ages and backgrounds. AAPI history is not a mandatory curriculum nationwide, so we will do our best to advocate for our community as we promote this project.
Alex: Just because the book is being released doesn’t mean the work is close to being done! We firmly believe that sharing and advocating for the work is just as important as creating it, especially for projects like this one that fill an under-represented space in a pivotal category of literature. While one of the intended aims of this book is to uplift and inspire the next generation of AAPIs through visibility and representation, the other is to make sure that the book is as successful as possible. Our goal is for the book to reach a broader audience and hopefully be a part of creating meaningful and lasting change.
Lightning Round
Favorite Host City/Top Pick
Maia: Los Angeles. I think 2028 will be incredible.Alex: Los Angeles. 2028 will be a game changer for the Olympic AND Paralympic Movements.
Most Used Emoji
Maia: ❤️Alex: 👍
Go to Comfort Food
Maia: Agedashi tofuAlex: Japanese curry rice. One of my dreams is to open a fast-casual Japanese curry restaurant. Hey, this gets read by successful investors and hospitality mavens, right? Hit me up!
Favorite Genre of Book to Read
Maia: Books about Stoicism and autobiographies—especially ones with a humorous tone.Alex: Historical non-fiction—sports, cinema, and world history, memoirs, and photography books.
Most Anticipated Summer Olympic Event
Maia: Chuck Aoki and the Paralympic wheelchair rugby team.Alex: Carissa Moore (Women’s Surfing) and Chuck Aoki (Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby). In 2024, Beach Volleyball (Women’s/Men’s) and Blind Football (Men’s) will be played in a temporary stadium at the Champ de Mars, right in front of the Eiffel Tower. I’m looking forward to seeing that.