As a teenager especially, I just wanted to do my thing and not be noticed.

I never wanted to feel I hadn't worked hard enough.

Winning in women's singles felt surreal. I felt that everything I had done - the hard work, the tough times - was all worth it.

In terms of my career, having the gold definitely changed my life. The Olympics are different, you know? They're every four years and it's such a small group.

At 6 years old, the ice became a place for me to express myself. Because I was so shy off the ice, it became my safe haven, with music and freedom and self-expression. That was my emotional outlet.

I burnt myself out of skating. I was ready to focus on being a mom.

Growing up as an athlete, I started skating very young. My parents didn't know anything about the sport, so they went with the flow. I had two great coaches who gave great advice and gave guidelines for my parents. My parents let the coaches dictate what was going on on the ice.