I was, without exaggeration, a delinquent teenager.
— Clara Hughes
My goal is to try to avoid a regular job.
The struggle I went through has value.
I want people to be inspired that I've always strived for excellence and I've always gone beyond what anybody ever thought I could do, what I thought I myself could do. And I've allowed myself to be inspired, kept my eyes open and my senses open to inspiration around me.
If you dream and you allow yourself to dream you can do anything. And that's what this Olympic medal represents.
I am kind of like a diesel. It is the cyclist in me.
I'm trying to let winning the world championships settle in right now before I begin training again shortly. During the skating season, we skate on average 20 kilometres a day. On top of that, we're riding a lot and lifting a lot of weights.
I have this thing I say to myself that 'tomorrow can be better.' And I remember that period in my life where I never felt like tomorrow could be better. It was always dread for the next day.
With athletes, it's never fully understood the level to which we push ourselves. Especially in an endurance sport.
The only reason I've shared my story is to take that tiny baby step of breaking down the stigma attached to depression.
For 20 years I've had the privilege of representing Canada around the globe... first on the bike and then on my blades. The experiences have shaped me into who I am today.
I'll skate on concrete if I have to. I'm not worried about how fast the ice is. I'm worried about how fast I can go on the ice.
What I have to do now is figure where my passion is, and follow my heart; I've proven that if I have the passion for something then I can succeed. I haven't been listening to my heart in the last little while.
I love skating so much and I feel like every time I step out onto the ice, that's what I'm meant to do.
I love working with kids and I want to just be able to do it from my heart and not as a job.
I had some experience in dealing with people who have mental illness and depression, but I didn't see the signs in myself. I couldn't ask for help because I didn't know I needed help.
I've learned what it truly means to be Canadian and in turn I've been inspired to make a difference in the world, however small it's been.
I am nowhere near my limit. I just want to see if there are such things as limits. I want to go and find out.
I still can't believe I won the Olympics. That's what I feel right now - completely alive as a human being. It's a really beautiful moment.
I've had so many experiences in cycling, but in some ways I have nothing left to prove. I have achieved more than I could have dreamed of, I've raced a lot longer than I thought I would. I know I can still be better, but I just don't know if I love it enough any more.
