When the going got tough, I really had to draw on many of the same competitive instincts I did when I was skating. I really had to put my head down and stay positive. I had to fight.

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.

When the going got tough, I really had to draw on many of the same competitive instincts I did when I was skating. I really had to put my head down and stay positive. I had to fight.

My sport taught me what I could do with my talents, whether in the rink or in the rest of my life

The first thing is to love your sport. Never do it to please someone else. It has to be yours.

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.

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