Well, my mom was a teacher, so I never got out of doing my homework. I’d say the important thing to remember is to do your best in school when you’re in the classroom and then do you your best on the ice when you’re at practice.

Think about what your goals are and what you want to accomplish in life, then from there, realize that you’ll need to make decisions on whether you want to give into peer pressure or keep working toward your dreams. Be confident in what you want to achieve and how you’re going to get there- and I can tell you, underage drinking is not the way to go!

I faced peer pressure on a daily basis, but I learned that for my skating and success in general that it was really important for me to say no to peer pressure and anything I didn’t feel that was going to make me become a better athlete. I want you all to know that saying “no” is not lame, and if you surround yourself with the right kinds of people it won’t be a big deal. You won’t lose friends over saying “no”, and if you do, you don’t want to be friends with those people anyways!

I’ve surrounded myself with a great support group that I trust to come to with issues- like my family, friends, and coaches. I like to go to the movies with my friends or do something fun when I feel stressed.

I fall a lot! It’s not fun. It took me 4 years to learn my double-axel. My mom can tell you she watched me fall on my butt time after time, but you just have to learn that falling is a part of skating and you just have to learn to get up and keep going!