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

The ultimate goal should be doing your best and enjoying it.

In 1968, in the midst of the tumultuous 1960s, the Olympics were much more than just another event

It's a level of strength and character that few of us can imagine; a grace under pressure that few of us will ever attain. It's why an Olympic gold medal would not have made us love or admire her more.

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

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.

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.