Quote

I certainly didn't think of myself as gifted. The standards for being gifted in my environment were if you were good in Little League or if you were good in football.

My sport taught me what I could do with my talents, whether in the rink or in the rest of my life.

The truth is that throughout my careers in both chess and the martial arts, I often knew that my rivals were more naturally gifted than me - either with their mental machines or their bodies. But I have believed in my training, my approach to learning, and my ability to rise to the challenge under pressure.

The biggest thing for me is the passion that I've always had for hockey. I remember growing up, no matter what I did in life, my parents always told me to try to do my best at it and be my best. I can say going through different things that that passion is the most important part. It's not skills or talent or any of that stuff.

I was always the youngest person in class, skinny, scrawny, no good at sports. I asserted myself by being smart. But then I got to college and started to get C's and D's. That was fantastic. I no longer had to be the smartest person in the room.

As an athlete, I used my speed, agility and quickness to go out and play against the big guys.

I think I'm skilful enough, but I don't consider myself a naturally talented, gifted sports person.

Coaches give you too much information. I've been allowed to develop that intuitive ability in my career and lifetime.

I was an athlete when I was growing up.

I was no great achiever at school, either academically or in the sporting field... I was always tending to be in trouble.