It's important to be driven and have goals. You want an independent woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. It's attractive to me when a woman is doing what she loves. It makes me want to know more.

When you reach that competing point, when you reach that time when the gun is about to go off, everyone's level is pretty much the same. The one thing that's going to separate you from everybody else is how you deal with those pressures, how you stay relaxed.

Be YOU. Don't be someone else. YOU are a unique individual. Be proud... rock it loud.

Generally, speed skaters don't run that much. I'm a little bit of an exception in that I run a lot.

I wanted to play football or be a boxer, but my dad didn't want that because of all the impact. But in 1992 I was watching short track, and it was obscure, but they looked like superheroes in their tight outfits, and I thought it was amazing. I wanted to do that. I made the national team at 14.

When I look at my life now and all the mistakes I've made, all the bad decisions I've made, all the things I could have done differently or done more in, I don't think I would have changed anything.

I was an avid swimmer and was state champ at age 12.