I want to inspire other young kids, no matter what their background is or where they're from or anything like that, that they can go out there and, if you work hard, you can do anything.
I remember seeing people who I thought were so confident and exuberant. I remember being young and watching Oprah and being like, 'Damn. That lady is so confident. She can talk to anybody.'
I think that in figure skating, and in sports in general, that when you're young, it's considered a huge advantage because you're fearless, and you also don't have bad past experiences. But with age comes experience, and I have found that my experience is a huge advantage to me as a competitor.
I think what you think of as the American people embracing - I don't think, on paper, I embody anything of that perceived persona. I think that's what people are latching on to, that I'm different.
When I was young, to have had somebody out there to look up to... it would have made a world of difference; it would have changed my life.
I think I've shown the world I'm a fierce competitor, yes. But I've also shown them that I'm a fierce human being.
I always loved music, to dance, and to be really active. When I started skating, it was the first time all of these things came together. It felt like magic, and I always wanted to be at the rink.
I think I had a stress fracture before I broke my foot, and I think that was absolutely because I was not getting enough nutrients.