Shani Davis

“Mentally, my key is just focusing on the little things I need to do in a race, whether that's tempo, turn entry, start speed, things like that. I'm not thinking about that much before or during a race. I just trust in my ability and all the hard work I put in and let the race come to me.”

“Whenever I put myself out there on the line, skating against other people, I simply want to win.”

“I started skating at age 2 on roller skates on the South Side of Chicago, where I grew up. By age 4, roller-skating was something I really enjoyed. Everyone around me wanted to do the 'roll bounce' thing, but I was pretty much only interested in going fast.”

“Some of the best things in my life have happened to me because I listened to my mother. And some of the worst things in my life have happened to me because I listened to my mother.”

“I usually just write down what I'm doing and how I felt. How I felt if I'm skating fast, compared to if I'm skating slow or if I'm tired. I can always go back and look as a reference and see what I was doing. It's pretty much my life on ice.”

“No other teammates can help you when you're on the ice by yourself against the clock. So I decided that if I'm going to race on my own, I'm going to train on my own.”

“I'm a speed skater. That's who I am, in my heart.”

“Being born and raised in Chicago made me tough. It made me strong. I feel like I can deal with anything. I truly believe that in my heart.”

“The real preparation for races is done in the off-season. I put in the hard work during the summer and fall, and I'm always working on technique so that when the actual races come around I'm ready to go.”

“As soon as I was introduced to ice speed skating, I was instantly hooked. I never thought about pursuing skating professionally; I just enjoyed doing it.”

“Things haven't changed since I was a young kid. I just wanted to be the fastest guy I could be, and I am still chasing that dream to this day.”

“I developed a sense of maturity when it comes to being dependent upon other people. I don't feel anyone really truly wants me to win more than I do.”