I still can't believe I won the Olympics. That's what I feel right now - completely alive as a human being. It's a really beautiful moment.

I'm trying to let winning the world championships settle in right now before I begin training again shortly. During the skating season, we skate on average 20 kilometres a day. On top of that, we're riding a lot and lifting a lot of weights.

The struggle I went through has value.

I've learned what it truly means to be Canadian and in turn I've been inspired to make a difference in the world, however small it's been.

For 20 years I've had the privilege of representing Canada around the globe... first on the bike and then on my blades. The experiences have shaped me into who I am today.

With athletes, it's never fully understood the level to which we push ourselves. Especially in an endurance sport.

Sport that consumed me for over two decades . . . is now gone. Now it's just me. No pressure, no expectations, no need to be fast, good, strong or to even improve. Yet I can't let go of this idea that I always need to be more than I am. And it is eating me alive.