Michelle Kwan Quotes

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Michelle Kwan

Profession : Athlete

Birth : July 7, 1980

I don't really remember a time younger than 5 years old that I didn't have skates on because all I can remember is every day, tying up my skates and a big smile on my face, excited to go on the ice.

Michelle Kwan

Skating has given me so much that it's priceless.

Michelle Kwan

To represent your country is an honor and a great experience.

Michelle Kwan

You see figure skaters fall all the time. It's the way you pick yourself back up and keep going.

Michelle Kwan

As I've gotten older and grown more independent, I think for myself, and that's how it should be.

Michelle Kwan

Whatever you're fighting for, you go with full passion and love.

Michelle Kwan

A few years after I finished skating, someone asked where my medals were. I'm like, 'In a suitcase somewhere.' Now they're nicely displayed in an ice rink, but medals don't really mean that much. It's the experience, the story of the skating, the love.

Michelle Kwan

In figure skating, you have four minutes to do your best. It's your time; you do your best.

Michelle Kwan

I'm very goal-oriented. I do see myself doing something in public service.

Michelle Kwan

I have stood on the shoulders of giants like Billie Jean King, Hillary Clinton, my mother - people who have really empowered and influenced my life in an incredible way.

Michelle Kwan

As an athlete, that's something I always take with me. You fall every day, whether it's in a job, or you miss something else, but you learn how to do it better next time. You learn it in sports. That's a life lesson.

Michelle Kwan

If you represent your country and millions of people are watching, it comes through a lot of grit and hard work.

Michelle Kwan

As a kid, falling was embarrassing. As I got older, I got used to falling and picking myself back up. There's not a sense of failure. It's of disappointment. You train so hard to not make mistakes. When you do, you're learning from that. How do I improve? How do I get better for the next time? Through every failure, there's something to be learned.

Michelle Kwan

I got a call this morning, and it was from Nancy Kerrigan, wishing me luck. She wished me luck and sent me all her good wishes.

Michelle Kwan

I would encourage people to participate in sports. You don't have to dream of being an Olympic or a professional athlete.

Michelle Kwan

Even at a young age, when you start to do well, it's tough because it's lonely on top, and I wasn't the most popular.

Michelle Kwan

If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition was myself. There's only so much you can do, right? There is only so much energy that one has. My focus was on how do I get the best out of myself.

Michelle Kwan

I'm a big eater.

Michelle Kwan

When I was younger, I always dreamed of being a legend, to be remembered in figure skating.

Michelle Kwan

I would just love to be able to give back to figure skating.

Michelle Kwan