Katarina Witt

“Skating taught me to set a goal and to block out other things and just focus on this one thing.”

“I hope that I can maintain my skating as long as possible.”

“Almost nothing is presented to you on a silver platter. You have to really work for it.”

“It's hard work to make a four-minute program look effortless and elegant.”

“I don't want to compete. I want to skate for the joy. I get so nervous in competition. I get always sick. I had pressures enough in my life from skating.”

“When you see the audiences and the smiling faces at the shows it really makes up for the work that you put in. I have a job I really love so whatever hecticness comes up - I'll just deal with it.”

“I was the very first athlete in East Germany allowed to go professional.”

“I started the class late. The teacher said I would have to learn as much in half a year that the others learned in a year. I did it.”

“Competitions make me nervous. When I go out on the ice, I just think about my skating and not, 'I have to do this to win.' I forget it is a competition.”