Since my mother is an extremely devoted Christian Orthodox woman, she prayed a great deal and taught me how to pray.

Autographs and pictures do get a little old, but I don't mind if the people want it.

I had this sister that was born who was given up for adoption, and I never knew it.

It's human nature to be timid in the face of obstacles, but I have learned to believe that challenges are opportunities for genius to shine. In order to feel alive, we have to accomplish things that we once believed we could not.

Since my mother is an extremely devoted Christian Orthodox woman, she prayed a great deal and taught me how to pray.

As a competitive gymnast, my life has always been filled with challenges that would ultimately define my future. From day one, I was taught to be prepared at all costs.

My parents enrolled me in a gymnastics class when I was three years old, and I just was drawn to gymnastics. I loved it. It was my playground, and I could run around and be free there.