I don't know why, but I love sunflowers, and I just have this vivid memory of being in a field of sunflowers and how they felt like trees. They felt so tall.
I am so happy I have been able to channel all the things that I went through when I was younger and make them into something positive.
It's weird to not know what a family is. Not know what a mother's love is. And not really know what a hug is or anything.
I started doing sports when I was 13 and competitively doing sports - where I was actually training - when I was 17.
I didn't find out about the Paralympics until I was 18 years old. Once I found out what the Paralympics were, I was so excited to know I had a chance to represent my country and wear Team U.S.A. on my back.
Cycling's primarily a pushing motion, and skiing is more pulling, so it kind of balances out the body.
The realization that I'm never going to run again, the feeling through my hair when you run... you're still a kid. You still have so much life to live.
It's extremely important for my sit ski to be perfectly fit to me. If it's too big, and I shift around, the energy and strength I put into propelling myself forward will be lost. The right fit is everything in my sport.
When I ski, I take both of my legs off and get into a sit ski: a ski with a custom seat that has been molded for me. I use my core and arms to propel myself on snow with help from ski poles.
It's hard to understand the athlete's lifestyle. You literally eat, sleep, train. You go to training camps in the winter where there is no Internet, you can't make phone calls.
It was honestly like 'Annie.' One day I was alone in a cold, dark Eastern European orphanage, and then the next day I was in an enchanted, mystical land known as Walmart.
It's insane going from skiing to cycling. Even though you are in prime shape, you feel like you have never worked out a day in your life.