Adam Rippon

“I know I am delusional at times, but I'm not completely-out-of-touch delusional.”

“I've always spoken my mind and from the heart.”

“When I am home in L.A., I love to stop by a yoga class or Soul Cycle session. There is nothing like doing some cycling in the dark to club music and candle light.”

“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've used my sense of humor as a coping tool. It's gotten me through a lot of challenging times.”

“I've been skating since I was 10 years old.”

“I love to have my own story, my own path, and forge ahead because my career isn't going to be like anyone else's.”

“I think it's so important for somebody like me to stand up for the things I believe in and speak up on things I don't think are right.”

“I remember when I told my mom that I wanted to come out, and my mom was a little hesitant. She was saying, 'Are you sure? Do you think that might affect your scores?' or, 'Is it something that you think that you need to do?' And I told her, 'I don't care. It's important to me.'”

“I always said that if I had the platform and the opportunity to share my story and make it easier for others, I would - so that, in a way, I can be the role model that I was looking for as a kid.”

“As an athlete, I know that I'm such a perfectionist that I'll want to go out and keep working on something over and over until it's perfect. Part of growing up is learning to take a step back.”

“I want to represent my country to the best of my abilities. I want to make Reese Witherspoon proud.”

“It might come off as cocky, but I've been through a lot in my life.”

“Nobody loves me as much as I love me, so I guess I'll just be my own valentine.”

“Honestly, it's really fun to be yourself. It's really fun to be me.”

“I can't explain witchcraft.”

“I am from Scranton, PA.”

“I'm not like a gay icon or America's gay sweetheart. I'm just America's sweetheart, and I'm just an icon.”

“My earliest memory of the Olympics was watching the 1996 Games in Atlanta. I remember everyone being so excited to watch. Seeing the American athletes on the podium, I saw myself. I knew that that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to be one of those athletes on the podium representing their country and bringing home medals.”

“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.”