Adversity, and perseverance and all these things can shape you. They can give you a value and a self-esteem that is priceless.

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.

I started skating and I kind of liked it because I could run circles around the guys that wouldn't pick me to play baseball.

Fame is a very confusing thing, because you are recognized by a lot of people that you've never seen before, and they're at a great advantage.

I had a ninth grade teacher who told me I was much smarter and much better than I was allowing myself to be.

I didn't want to be the sissy figure skater, you know.

I was more interested in skating and the girls and traveling than I was in calculus.