After nearly 15 years spent competing together as one of the United States' top ice dance teams, it's only natural that Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani have become results-oriented in all of their endeavors. So, it's no surprise that when the Shibutanis spoke about their first book,
Kudo Kids: The Mystery of the Masked Medalist, they began comparing the initial performance of the children's mystery novel to the all-too-familiar figure skating season.
"We're not going to be performing the book eight times over the course of the season, so it's definitely a different experience than what we're used to," Alex said. "It's No. 1 on Amazon already in a couple categories, so that was nice to see. I don't know if it's the equivalent of a season's best or the minimum technical requirement. I think it's better than the minimum technical requirement, I think it's like first place in the rhythm dance at an early season competition. Yeah, our senior B went really well, we're looking forward to the Grand Prix season. I don't know what that result will look like in the book world – "
"But the audience at the senior B really enjoyed it," Maia added.
"We're not even going to finesse the program at all," Alex said, finishing the analogy. "There's nothing that has to be done. We're not changing, we're not doing any edits to the book. So that's it for the rest of the season."
A passion project nearly two years in the making,
Kudo Kids: The Mystery of the Masked Medalist, was released Sept. 8 and written by the Shibutanis with Michelle Schusterman. Drawing from Maia and Alex's own experiences and passions, the book follows siblings Mika and Andy Kudo as they travel to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, experience the culture and food of Japan, and play a game called "OlympiFan". Two days after the release,
The Mystery of the Masked Medalist was ranked No. 1 for both "Children's Mystery, Detective & Spy" and "Children's Sibling Books."
"We grew up being voracious readers and had never read a book about two young protagonists going to an Olympic Games, and with a particular background specific to the Olympics, we thought we would be able to introduce readers in a unique way and share the values and some of the behind-the-scenes aspects," Alex said.
"It's very cool for us to see a story where it's two Asian American kids who go on an adventure," Maia added.
Doing Good in the World
Writing their first book – with a second
Kudo Kids adventure expected in the spring of 2021 – is one of many adventures that has kept the two-time Olympic bronze medalists and two-time U.S. ice dance champions occupied this year. Another project close to their hearts is fundraising for Get Us PPE, a movement providing personal protective equipment to those who need it most during the pandemic.
The Shibutanis have raised
more than $40,000 through their campaign and have no plans of slowing down as long as the need remains.
"We're so inspired by the response that our fundraiser had because we really didn't know what to expect," Maia explained. "We knew that we had good intentions and we knew we wanted to commit our time and effort into seeing if there was anything we could do to help… The fact that we recently broke $40,000 is an incredible feeling. Obviously, it's not going to solve everything, but the biggest takeaway we've tried to share to our followers is that every little bit makes a difference."
Maia and Alex also spent time this summer producing a five-episode "ShibShow" for their social platforms, which was a series of long-form video discussions with experts ranging from a doctor who helped found Get Us PPE to a filmmaker working to increase representation to Olympic speedskating great and Right to Play founder Johann Olav Klauss.
"That series of conversations was our slightly developed approach to the blogging and the vlogging that we've done over the years," said Alex, who promised there will be a second season. "We wanted to tell meaningful stories and help elevate people, especially during a time where there are so many important causes: healthcare workers, social inequality causes. We're just trying to put out as many good things in the world as possible, during a time when it's especially needed and appreciated."
Bump in the Road
A significant bump in the Shibutanis' very productive road came last fall. It began when Maia went to the emergency room due to a stomach virus and ended with her having surgery in mid-December to remove a cancerous tumor from her kidney.
Nine months later, Maia is cancer-free and says she is a changed person from the ordeal – not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
"December was a big change," she said. "It was unexpected. I've had to be patient with the process following the surgery, but I'm cancer-free, so I'm incredibly grateful for that fact. I'm focused on my health right now and have been able to reflect and be in the moment. I'm also so grateful I have such a strong group around me between Alex, our parents and our coaching team, who have been so supportive. Scott Hamilton was also extremely supportive, and I really appreciate that.
"It was life-altering, but I feel stronger for having been through it."
For perhaps the first time in their lives, one of the Shibutani siblings experienced a major life event the other was not facing.
"It was really scary because it came out of nowhere," Alex said. "I was really concerned and tried to be a strong, supportive older brother. I couldn't relate to what she was experiencing but given our relationship and what we had been through together, I knew I could be the best teammate/partner/sibling that I could possibly be. … When something like that happens it shakes you, and it's very frightening, but Maia's such a strong person and I've been inspired to see her give strength to other people in being so open and honest about her experience."
Olympic Future
The Shib Sibs last competed at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, where they won bronze medals in both ice dance and the Olympic Team Event, becoming the first ice dance team of Asian descent to medal at the Olympic Winter Games.
Since those fateful two weeks in PyeongChang, the way they spend their time has changed drastically compared to three years ago when they were training on a daily basis to reach the pinnacle of their sport, but the experience in South Korea has also changed who they are as people.
"There's a certain level of confidence that you feel that comes with positive reinforcement, and competition results or compliments are all things that help elevate you and push you forward," Alex said. "I think what happened after was the result and the boost of energy that we felt from that entire Olympic experience.
"Since the Olympics, there has continued to be a lot of opportunities for us to be able to learn and grow. Some of it has been together and some of it has been separately. I think we're both different people. We're just growing and evolving, and it's been a lot of fun. We've really enjoyed being able to step away from competitive skating. We've learned a lot about ourselves and I think gotten better at everything we do."
As far as whether the Shibutanis will pursue a third Games, that remains a mystery to the siblings themselves.
When approached about the topic, Maia and Alex both agreed that now would have been the time for skaters in their situation to return and pursue the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, but that given the pandemic and Maia's surgery, they now believe they would have to return in time for the start of the 2021-22 season if they choose to return to the sport.
"If there's anything that we can be generous about it's that we've stayed in touch with our coaches," Alex offered. "We're in touch with our coaches, we're in touch with particular people in the sport, so although we're working on these other projects and the pandemic has made things really difficult, I'll just say that we would have to come back by the beginning of next season."
"There's a lot to consider," Maia added. "Pre-December, we were really in a good place physically, both of us as far as being in shape, so now we're taking it day by day and being flexible."
