I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have my very own school - no way. And I had no idea I'd be coaching girls. It's wild.
If you have the talent and if you have the ability, and you work for it, you can achieve your goals.
On the balance beam, sometimes it's really hard to stay on if you're having some rough times.
I started with California, and I did not like it. I flew over to Seattle, and I did not like it much. I felt like Iowa is the place - I like the people and the environment.
I've been coaching the sport for a number of years. And I went through many athletes. Some athletes stay with your program for a long, long period of time. Some athletes, they have a different approach as far as coaching style or your philosophies. I totally respect their own opinions - they have the right to choose their own coach.
There's a lot of pressure, and it's a long battle, to coach at the elite level. My wife and I didn't take a vacation for 10 years.
In China, I lived in a dormitory, and the government paid for everything - food, buses. In Iowa, I had to run after the bus, and cook for myself. The first weeks in the U.S., I was asking, 'Where is my food?'
Without the lessons I learned in gymnastics, I would be crushed.
I think gymnastics trained me as a person, too. Without the lessons I learned in gymnastics, I would be crushed.
God had a plan for everything. I never knew I'd come to Iowa, but now I love Iowa. Everything is so great about it - the people, the environment, education. I'm so proud to say I'm an Iowan. I'm living the dream.
