You see the fairy tale - four minutes of glory at the Olympics. I thought my life would be cake after that.

I was a bratty little sister. I was the youngest of three, and I often felt as though I didn't fit in.

I was just ice skating. I had no concept of that. In those days you couldn't see the judges. I was this little person on the ice and they were just people that would stand around the boards.

I wouldn't say that there's ever been an Olympic champion that didn't deserve to win an Olympic Gold Medal.

You see the fairy tale - four minutes of glory at the Olympics. I thought my life would be cake after that.

In my teen years leading up to the Olympics, I loved having the excuse to skip out on parties because of skating. Partying wasnt my thing anyway. Mostly I hung out with other skaters. We were all buddies, so its not like I missed out on socializing. I was really enjoying myself.

Our family life, before figure skating turned it upside down, seemed normal. Our town of Riverside, Connecticut, was part of Greenwich, and we had the advantage of their wonderful community, with great beaches and beautiful parks.