And there is such a thing as a decathlon high. It's like a rock rolling down hill, picking up momentum. You get better and better.

To me, the decathlon is its own little society and I am part of that culture.

It's important for me to think I'm mixed-race.

Through everything I've gone through- and I've been everywhere, at the top of the world, in jail, hung over drunk - I never gave up my dream of winning a gold medal in the Olympics.

I think what my parents did was perfect. They were strict, concerned about my safety and held me back just a little.

Take pride in exactly what it is you do and remember it's okay to fail as long as you don't give up.

When first starting to work with someone you try to get them in the same mindset that you were in when you were successful, and I realized the best thing you can ever do is realize that they are not you. They have a different persona and mindset, and you have to figure out what works best within your communication with that athlete.