As a kid growing up, I was never like, 'I want to go to the Olympics,' so having to pass on 2012 because I was too young didn't bother me at all.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I didn't really ever dream of going to the Olympics until after 2012.
In 2010, I was 17 or 18 and thought, 'Yeah, the Olympics, that might happen.'
I was turning actually 15 at the Olympics in '76... I don't think that one year makes a huge difference.
But inside of me I knew that the Olympics were still there. I was still young enough. I knew that once I transitioned out of hockey, it would be really hard to go back.
The mistakes you make and lessons you learn at a young age are what gets you to an Olympic level.
I was still young when I missed Beijing. I was favourite to win a medal but I knew I had time. My coach advised me to stay at school and finish my exams. Even if I had gone and won the Olympics, I might not have handled the pressure. So I moved on.
I never thought about competing in the Olympic Games when I was growing up.
I started Little Athletics when I was five years old, but my Olympics dream started when I was 10 years old.
I was like, 'I don't know if I could be an Olympian...' But my dad really influenced me to stay and be in the Olympics.
I was a crazy little seven-year-old. I used to get up an hour early to watch the big kids train. I thought, 'I must absorb their awesomeness.' That was my goal from when I was seven. I told my coach, 'I'm going to the Olympics.'