Ashley Wagner

“A lot of people who watch figure skaters want us to look like pretty princesses. I want people to see the athlete, and I want to look like a woman among girls.”

“When my parents were paying for my sport, it wasn't just me out on the ice. Pretty much every dollar my mom made teaching went into my skating.”

“I'm a show pony, and I don't get to skate with girls doing triple Axels every single day. I skate with little babies who are working on their single Axels while trying not to hit them on the ice.”

“People don't want to watch a sport where you see people fall down and somehow score above someone who goes clean.”

“I by no means quit social media.”

“I am going to get involved with giving back to military families.”

“I can adapt to change easily, but I'm not a fan of it.”

“I love to win, honestly... If you love to win, you should say it. And honestly, I'm hooked on it.”

“I haven't mastered the art of sitting and smiling.”

“I'm not a crier.”

“For me, I have gay family members, and I have a lot of friends in the LBGT community.”

“I think the great thing about social media is it gives people access to you on a totally personal level that they didn't have before, so it's really important, and it's a great way to get people involved and excited about what you're doing.”

“My parents told me, 'Skating is a privilege, not a right, and school always comes first.'”

“I'm vicious. I can be nice off the ice, but on the ice, that's not where it's time to make friends.”

“Some skaters, they live for skating, and they are home-schooled. I'm very lucky my parents let me go to school and have a normal life.”

“Years ago, I tore out a Nike ad featuring Allyson Felix and Maria Sharapova looking super fierce and tough. I always told my family that I wanted to be like them someday, so to come home to my apartment and see boxes of Nike gear stacked higher than my doorknob is pretty much a dream come true.”

“I'm not one for neon colors.”

“Off the ice, I can be soft, and I can be elegant and sweet.”

“Twitter is a blessing and a curse at the same time.”

“I try to stay low-carb and high on lean protein. I'm lucky in that I love chicken and rice; it's one of my favorite meals. I steam some vegetables and top them with olive oil for some flavor.”