Well, being a working mommy is something I've always wanted to be. My mother is my biggest role model and she showed me how to do it right. She was very present in our lives and has a great career of her own. Same with my father. So I knew it was possible going in to stay closely connected to my children while also chasing big dreams.

We had two goals...One was to cherish every moment together, cherish the journey because the journey allows you to learn and grow. The other was to win a gold medal.

To me, crying is not a sign of weakness. She wants it that bad and she puts her whole heart into it. She had really high expectations, and that's why she's so good. She just had a bad game.

We don't have a World Series or a Super Bowl, so to be able to come home with a gold medal is amazing. I want to do it again in four more years.

At some point I go back on the sand to get my sand legs. Because it takes a good month for my legs to catch up with everything, with the displacement and all that stuff. So right now we're training on the beach six days a week for practice, and that's generally about two and a half hours. And then I'm doing pilates three times a week.

When I'm sore, ice is my best friend. It really works. I take omega-3s every day, which helps with inflammation. And I try to eat things that won't inflame my joints, like fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, and seafood.

That's a very privileged job and I love it with all my heart. I'm planning on playing my best volleyball to date throughout 2016 and certainly during the Olympics.