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After about six months, I told my mother that I wanted the lessons to stop, and she was intelligent enough not to force me to continue. Besides, the lessons cost money, which was anything but abundant in our household.

When my parents were paying for my sport, it wasn't just me out on the ice. Pretty much every dollar my mom made teaching went into my skating.

My dad died in 1980, and I found out afterwards from mum that my piano lessons, which cost £2 a week, took up nearly a third of his income.

My mom used to tell me that the most valuable thing she owned was her library card. We were poor, but that's not what she was talking about. My mom knew that education opened doors and opened minds.

But I was going to be a teacher my entire life, so I wasn't counting on money to much.

For a little while, my mom was a school teacher. And I went to the school that she taught.

When you're a child, you take things for granted. For instance, my mum didn't have a lot of money, but I went to piano, ballet and gymnastics lessons, and tae kwon do.

I realized I was the one doing all the training, earning the money, and my parents were living off of me.

My mum put herself in £50,000 of debt to service my sporting career. She did everything for me to pursue my dream.

I told my mom I would graduate. I owe that much to her and myself.