Olympics
In February 1991, I was rushed to the hospital in Los Angeles to have my feet amputated. Three years earlier, I had broken the national 100 meters hurdles record while a student at UCLA and was a favourite for the event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
I think snowboarders have a unique experience when it comes to the Olympics because we have a pretty frequent competition circuit in addition to the games. So it's not a sport where your big moment is just once every four years.
The first few years I was competing, I'd ride so well in practice, then choke and fall in competition. Now I take a deep breath and say, 'Look at me. I'm outside. I'm doing what I love'. Still, nothing's matched the pressure I felt standing at the top of the halfpipe for the first time at the Olympics.
Looking back, I'm so proud to have gone to five Olympics — I believe only three other Americans have achieved that. My true gold medal, though, is my daughter, Karsen, who is 18 months old. And I have a wonderful husband, Mike.
I was born in the U.S., and that's who I rep. Although when the winter Olympics come around, I'm pretty partial to Norway's success and what they do.
It takes a village to earn a spot representing your country, and I know that every single person who helped me get to the Olympics was also touched by the dream. The web of inspiration is incredible. Because of this, I know that the core principles and spirit of what the Olympics stand for are worth protecting.
I only really discovered modelling in August 2014 when I went to the Royal Queensland Show in Brisbane and watched a fashion parade. At that moment, I decided it looked like an awesome thing to do. Before then, my spare time was competing at Special Olympics, dancing, and acting.
On the face of it, China has won the Olympics. But it is not China that has won, but the Communist party. The Chinese people have lost.
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