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.

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.

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

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.

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.

I really loved what the guys were doing more than anything, how high they jumped, how effortless it was.

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