I always had the sense that nothing was never good enough - striving for perfection. My mother and I had a sort of typical mother-daughter relationship.

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

I wanted to learn how to skate backwards and they wouldn't help me and they went off and left me on my own.

I hated to read. My mother could not get me to read. I’m going through the same thing with my daughter now. I love to read now, but I don’t remember reading.

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.

My parents didn't have a lot of money, but we never knew that. They really did the best they could.

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