I just try to touch people's hearts in a way through skating, so they're not just witnessing a performance, they're feeling a performance and they're a part of it.

Everything that I've ever been able to accomplish in skating and in life has come out of adversity and perseverance.

And so figure skating was a great vehicle for me to kind of be competitive at something, without having to be big.

Without strength and courage it's really hard to perform at the highest levels of international figure skating, because you're alone on the ice and you only have seven minutes over two nights to prove yourself.

That's what makes the Ryder Cup in golf so much better than the Masters or the U.S. Open. To be a part of something that is not about personal achievement, but about representing everyone and sharing it with the whole country, it's wonderful.

A bad attitude is the only true handicap.

I don't think most teachers realize how much impact they have.