Of course, rivals do affect athletes mentally, but if you are competing with top-notch athletes, you will push each other, you will encourage each other.
The first initial feeling, at least for me, was to go out and play well and hopefully win and have the Asian community be even more proud.
In the tennis world, there weren't a whole lot of Asians playing. You see it a little bit more now. The same can really be said for basketball.
I think the French Open, in many ways, brought out a certain characteristic in me and in my game that was already there. Just the circumstances allowed for it to be able to show.
Over the years, I've made many sacrifices to win two Olympic gold medals and put together winning streaks that will never be broken.
I've never been outside Heathrow so it will be exciting to see what London has to offer. I think I've only flown into Heathrow maybe twice.
For me, there's nothing better than curling up in my favorite blanket on a cloudy or rainy day and just knit. Especially in front of the fireplace.
The brunette phase just came about because I was fed up with this 'Blonde Angel Image'. The rebel in me demanded a new color.
I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon as I see the targets, I tune them out.
I want to be the first lady to land a quadruple jump in competition. As I grow older, I know that my skating style will develop and mature.
Cardio is tough after a day of skating, but with my iPod I can get into the moment and complete the cardio training for the day.
Winning a Grand Slam changes everything. There is so much off-court stuff to deal with. And there are expectations of keeping it going that make it tough.
The main thing is just really to play my game... and while you are playing the match, as it goes along, you kind of figure things out.
Being compared to Ian Thorpe, that could be one of the greatest compliments you could ever get in swimming - being compared to him and Mark Spitz.
I learned how fast you can go from being an international hero to being a reference in a joke on a late night talk show.
People say to me, 'You're so lucky. You get to see the world.' But I don't. I go to the hotel and to the pools and back again. That's it.
Every day after I wake up, I think, 'Wait... this can't be real; I'm still going to wake up.'
And if you have high cholesterol, you would feel the same as if you had low cholesterol because there are no side effects, no symptoms of having high cholesterol.
If I hadn't come East as a kid, I might still be a World Cup racer today, but I wouldn't be the same World Cup racer.
The harsh cold and windburn from hours of skiing does a lot of damage to my skin, so I try to keep my skin as moisturized as possible.
People tell me an Olympic medal is a life-changing event. Except I don't even think about the medal unless someone asks about it.
