To overcome any sort of fear is satisfying, and to overcome it well is even better.
I have this dream of what I ultimately want my life to be like, and it involves a lot of quaint activities like cooking and canoeing and camping and hiking.
When the United States media is paying attention, that's when you're really representing your country.
It's a fine balance for an athlete in enjoying the moment and being really satisfied, say, with a run, and with your day, and knowing you can make it better in the future.
Sometimes the best coaching advice you can get is simple acknowledgement that there's nothing else you could have done.
I am a freestyle mogul skier who, on February 13, became the first American to win a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
On television, I have watched countless athletes from different countries, sports and Olympics stand proudly at the top of the podium and shed tears. They symbolized the Olympics for me because Olympic medals represent all of the hard work and sacrifices made by the athletes as well as the people who helped them reach the top of their sports.
I savored my time on top of the podium by watching the American flag rise up out of the crowd as the anthem played, thinking about how every single second of training I've done was for this minute and how many people played a role in my achievement.
The experience of being an Olympian is one that can never be taken away from you.
I'm a 27-year-old freshman, and returning to college after a seven-year break from high school was by far the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
When you've won a gold medal and you're at the top of your sport, everyone's trying to beat you. I find that incredibly motivating.
On the actual competition days, you get about three or four hours of physical exertion - between an hour-long warm-up, recovery in-between runs, the training runs, and then the runs themselves.
I go to the gym in the morning to warm up, and then I go to the mountain and train. Then I come home and go to the gym again to recover. But on travel days, you get pretty much no physical exertion.
One of my favorite snacks is Chobani yogurt with Bear Naked granola, because it has all the nutrients I need; it's all-natural, and it has a lot of protein.
It can be tough when you're on the road, but I think food is meant to be enjoyed, so whenever we go to a new place, we look for the specialty item there.
I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog named Lola.
An Olympic gold medal is something that almost seems like a fantasy. Yes, of course I want it, since I was a little kid, before I even knew what the World Cup tour was.
I'm 23 years old and still wearing pigtails.
Unfortunately, my beauty regime is almost nonexistent when I am training.
Because we always have to wear a uniform to compete, my teammates and I look the exact same. My belt is the only accessory that I get to choose. I usually wear a yellow cloth belt with cherries or a leather belt with a beautiful tree buckle that I got at a thrift store.
