I wrote the book 'Grace, Gold & Glory' because I had to overcome many challenges and hardships. I wanted to share my story to let anyone facing hardships know that your dream is still possible.

Never give up and always keep fighting, because though times may be tough, the sacrifices do pay off, so just keep pushing towards your dream and just love it at the same time and enjoy it.

I wanted to tell my story and where I came from and my background, because it was not easy.

I blast "Northern Sky," by the Capital Kings, on the way there, but at the gym, I totally zone out.

You know, God has a plan for me, and I'm going to follow in his footsteps and just rejoice and be happy.

Sacrifices are not in vain. At the end, everything will pay off.

Words can't even describe how much Olympic medals means to me, because of all the hard work, sacrifice and effort I put in at the gym, and also because of how much my family supported me and sacrificed their dreams for mine. It also means a lot to me, knowing that I became the first African American to win the individual all-around gold medal.