Skating was the vessel into which I could pour my heart and soul

Giving life to music through skating was something I wanted to be known for

As a young child, I played the violin. I think that that started the spark

When I was on the ice, in the lights, with the music and the motion, there was a certain kind of flirtation that gave great energy and expressiveness to my performance.

Love your sport. Never do it to please someone else; it has to be yours. That is all that will justify the hard work. Compete against yourself, not others, for that is who is truly your best competition.

Then came the choreography... the impact of music and choreography tends to really emphasize an overall feeling of what you really want out of the program.

I think exercise tests us in so many ways, our skills, our hearts, our ability to bounce back after setbacks. This is the inner beauty of sports and competition, and it can serve us all well as adult athletes.