Adversity isn’t your Enemy

You were born with club feet and you began skating as therapy. Did you think, back then, that it was even possible to skate competitively, much less, go on to win an Olympic gold medal someday?

I'm not sure I really realized the challenges that I was, kind of, facing. As a infant and I had the casts on and then braces and corrective shoes when I was a toddler. And learning how to walk with like a bar in between my feet, but I think I just did it because I had to and I think I just felt lucky that my parents were so proactive at helping me overcome the deformity and allowed me to take part in other activities. So, I started skating and it wasn't necessarily for therapy, but I know my pediatrician said, "It would be great for her coordination and for strength." And even though I think and I still feel I'm bow-legged, in some ways, I think that helped. Being an athlete and a skater.

I think when you face certain things early on, it inherently builds that resilience that you need in other parts of your life and in some ways, I do feel like it kind of taught me never to give up and to really just always go after what you want no matter what the challenges are.

Would you say that's the most important lesson that you've learned from your own personal journey? Dealing with the club feet, overcoming it. Would that be the single biggest piece of advice you have for others who are facing similar challenges whether it be physical or something else?

Definitely, I mean I think you have goals that you set and things you wanna pursue. And it's that perseverance and the determination, I think, that will get you to your goal because I always laugh, you know, my mom was the biggest supporter ever, but I think one of the good things was like she's like, "You know you're not the most talented out there, so sometimes some of us need to work a little harder."

Oh no, she did not really say that.

You know and it was fine. I mean I was maybe eight years old at the time cause I was like, "Yeah, how come she learned that so fast?" But I think it's good to learn a work ethic early on and it serves you well for the rest of your life really.