I think nowadays it's so easy as an athlete to become a statistic whether or not you lose everything or having trouble or whatever it may be.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
If it wasn't for my sport and my father, I'd probably be a fallen statistic. I'd be dead; I'd be in jail. Luckily, I had a great dad in my life.
I think one has to understand that there are stages in life, and that the life of an athlete has its limits. It's short, and then it stops, and sooner or later you have to accept that.
It is very dangerous to have your self-worth riding on your results as an athlete.
When you reach that elite level, 90 percent is mental and 10 percent is physical. You are competing against yourself. Not against the other athlete.
Athletic ability can be taken away like that. It can all end in a heartbeat.
Just kidding, I've been very athletic all my life.
I mean, as an athlete, as a competitor, you have to have that belief in yourself.
We judge athletes as if we all don't have trouble performing our various duties from time to time.
No other athlete in any sport has ever had to go through what I have to.
As an athlete, you figure you work your whole life to have what you have, and to be able to show the world what you have and how proud you are of it, that's always fun.