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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.