I was the very first athlete in East Germany allowed to go professional.

The feeling of losing oneself in somebody's arms, yet at the same time finding oneself there, is irreplaceable. Nothing compares to the intensity of that feeling.

Too many times women try to be competitive with each other. We should help support each other, rather than try to be better than each other.

When youre young, you dont think very far ahead. You just think in terms of the next day, the next week, the next competition. You dont think about injuries that could threaten your long-term health.

I hope that I can maintain my skating as long as possible.

I know this is maybe naive, but one day I hope there will be peace in the world. Maybe one day the flowers will come back.

As an athlete, you choose your sport and are drawn into it but your passion should never be driven by fame and fortune but a desire to create something special that people will always remember.