Kristi Yamaguchi

“Winning in women's singles felt surreal. I felt that everything I had done - the hard work, the tough times - was all worth it.”

“They say, once you have a child, your heart is forever outside your body. I totally understand that now.”

“My experience at the 1992 Winter Olympics was my fulfillment of dreaming the Impossible Dream.”

“The good feeling I get from contributing rivals anything I felt on the Olympic stand in Albertville.”

“This experience has been once in a lifetime.”

“At 6 years old, the ice became a place for me to express myself. Because I was so shy off the ice, it became my safe haven, with music and freedom and self-expression. That was my emotional outlet.”

“Now, I am thrilled to be a wife and mother, and I hope to be as good of a mother as my own mother, Carole.”

“Probably a few weeks after I was born I started having casts put on my legs to straighten them out. After that corrective shoes and with a brace in between.”

“Figure skaters have awful perceptions of hockey players.”

“One of my mottos not only just in skating but in life in general and I try to enforce it as well, is like no regrets and just like going for it.”

“Before turning pro, I would never have just left my skates sitting in the locker room unattended.”

“As a teenager especially, I just wanted to do my thing and not be noticed.”

“I've realized how precious life is. When I was younger, I was more adventurous. I felt invincible. I was game for everything. As a mom, I don't want to get injured because then I can't take care of my kids.”

“Having achieved my own dreams, I want to give to kids who are less fortunate, who struggle with everyday obstacles. I want to give them something positive in their lives: support.”

“I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're competing. In an ideal situation, you'll have something where you'll put it on and you're fine and you don't have to worry about it at all.”

“I don't mind the sparkle - I think it's kind of a tradition in skating. I don't think the men really need sparkles, but for the women it's part of the glamour of our sport.”

“Skating was something I really wanted to do; my parents knew nothing about it. They said they'd support me as long as I was trying my hardest and enjoying it.”

“With 30,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations from the seasonal flu, those numbers are certainly higher than what we've seen of the swine flu. Protecting yourself from both viruses is very important.”

“Childhood reading is so important.”

“As a professional, I think we're not being judged solely on technical ability anymore. People really want to be entertained and enjoy what they're watching.”