I never had one day that I didn't want to be on the ice, because I always had an objective for that day. I had a rigorous plan and schedule in place that I had to adhere to. It was a step-by-step process of slowly but surely inching toward the Olympic Games and using every day as a series of goals to be accomplished.

When there's somebody racing side-by-side, when somebody's right next to me and they're pushing and we're both tired, we're both fatigued, I want to be able to beat them mentally.

Olympic athletes have to find a job right after they're done competing.

In school I studied international business and marketing, so I've always been attracted to business.

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

I can look into someone's eyes and feel like I know her better, versus a phone call, where you can't get that same type of emotion. That's why text messaging gets you in trouble: You can't bond, and emoticons explain only so much.

If it wasn't for my sport and my father, I'd probably be a fallen statistic. I'd be dead; I'd be in jail. Luckily, I had a great dad in my life.