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The Olympics was always my be-all and end-all, so when I won, it was the best feeling in the world. But I didn't realise how much it would affect me mentally. All that pressure. I was only 19; I still didn't know everything about taekwondo, I wasn't experienced. I just did amazing on that day and won.

I lost in the 1988 Olympics, and I was pretty depressed for about eight years. I quit wrestling, and I got into Brazilian jujitsu in 1991.

People in the U.S. didn't know what taekwondo was. But they saw what the Lopezes were able to do with all the love and support and hard work we put in, and what we accomplished. It makes me feel real lucky to be in a position like that.

Training with Bela and Marta Karolyi took the joy out of the Olympics for me. I look back and feel there was a lot of verbal and physical abuse. For years, I felt it was my problem.

I got into Taekwondo when I was nine, and I started training Muay Thai and Brazilian Jujitsu later in life.

Training in taekwondo for eight years and then being able to do it in a film was pretty amazing.

I started taekwondo at 5 or 6 years old and did a bunch of kick-boxing later, too. Eventually I became a black belt and coached as well. I did some basketball and softball growing up, but most of my activity was martial arts.

Winning the Olympics was an amazing feeling, but afterwards, it was a bit like, 'What do I do now?' So I lost a bit of motivation going back into training and competitions; I had so much pressure on me. I kept thinking, 'I'm the Olympic champion. I can't lose' - being only 19 and having to deal with all that pressure.

I feel like at the Olympics I gave the best performance of my life and I wasn't rewarded for that as an athlete. Yes, my fans and my mom were happy about it, but I didn't win that gold medal.

It was probably right after I made my comeback - after retiring post-2008 Olympics - when I finally felt more at ease with my body. Being away from the sport helped put things in perspective.