Every day, someone realizes a dream. I believe dreams help light our darkness and give us the push we need to move across the rink of life.
An athlete gains so much knowledge by just participating in a sport. Focus, discipline, hard work, goal setting and, of course, the thrill of finally achieving your goals. These are all lessons in life.
I don't know how many people really knew who I was before the Olympics and that's the fun thing of the Olympics - you get to know someone who captures your heart, hopefully.
I learned to put 100 percent into what you're doing. I learned about setting goals for yourself, knowing where you want to be and taking small steps toward those goals. I learned about adversity and how to get past it.
I never wanted to feel I hadn't worked hard enough.
At 6 years old, the ice became a place for me to express myself. Because I was so shy off the ice, it became my safe haven, with music and freedom and self-expression. That was my emotional outlet.
I'd try to channel my nervous energy in a positive way into strength and endurance. It didn't always work.
I always try to start out with some type of goal. Then I work backward and think of what I need to do to get there, and give myself smaller goals that are more immediate
Once you have a child, your heart is forever outside your body. I totally understand that now.
I'm always looking for inspiring ways to stay motivated and stay active.
I've realized how precious life is. When I was younger, I was more adventurous. I felt invincible. I was game for everything. As a mom, I don't want to get injured because then I can't take care of my kids.
Probably a few weeks after I was born I started having casts put on my legs to straighten them out. After that corrective shoes and with a brace in between.
As a teenager especially, I just wanted to do my thing and not be noticed.
I feel like I missed out on the regular high school social life, but that's the way I chose to be.
Being an athlete, you know how to train and prepare your body for a performance and you're able to do it under pressure.
Childhood reading is so important.
I'm kind of a homebody. My husband says I like to just stay home and do nothing, but that's just how I am.
My experience at the 1992 Winter Olympics was my fulfillment of dreaming the Impossible Dream.
Having achieved my own dreams, I want to give to kids who are less fortunate, who struggle with everyday obstacles. I want to give them something positive in their lives: support.
Training for the Olympics was a lifelong endeavor and took many years.
The skaters a lot of times do their own hair and makeup before they compete. That was always kind of a ritual...that calming, quiet time where you can just do your hair and makeup. And then I would always lace up my right skate before my left one.
With 30,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations from the seasonal flu, those numbers are certainly higher than what we've seen of the swine flu. Protecting yourself from both viruses is very important.
Now, I am thrilled to be a wife and mother, and I hope to be as good of a mother as my own mother, Carole.
There are two or three performances in your life that are absolutely on, where all the planets are lined up for you and you feel you're invincible.
Winning in women's singles felt surreal. I felt that everything I had done - the hard work, the tough times - was all worth it.
