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Even when I was hurt with triple ACL reconstructive surgeries, there was a target on my back. I had to come back and fight through it.

In some ways the ACL tear was a blessing. I had hesitated to return to elite gymnastics after the 2008 Olympics. I told myself I had already accomplished so much, and the road was just going to get harder if I continued.

When I broke my leg on the dirt bike, fear got the best of me that day. I hesitated. I didn't hit it as fast as I could have, and I came up short. It was the first time in my life I couldn't get back up.

In boxing, I had a lot of fear. Fear was good. But, for the first time, in the bout with Muhammad Ali, I didn't have any fear. I thought, 'This is easy. This is what I've been waiting for'. No fear at all. No nervousness. And I lost.

I had my moments when I got very frightened that I would not recover.

You can't let fear paralyze you. The worse that can happen is you fail, but guess what: You get up and try again. Feel that pain, get over it, get up, dust yourself off and keep it moving.

My biggest fear is mindlessly and stupidly repeating myself.

My greatest fear: repetition.

I just have this fear that I'll get on stage and there'll be that brief moment of adrenalin and I'll forget my line.

I remember being onstage once when I didn't have fear: I got so scared I didn't have fear that it brought on an anxiety attack.