Apolo Ohno Quotes

Being a competitor, you always believe you can come back. I’ll be up at 3 in the morning watching World Cup races in my hotel whether I’m in Asia on a business trip or in New York City and have to get up in 2 hours.

Champions all get kicked when they’re down.

I have a scar on my left thigh, kind of almost near my knee. I essentially fell in the 2002 Olympics and when I hit the wall – because of the impact – my right leg kind of came in at like a knife-type angle and stabbed my leg with my own skate blade.

When I look at my life now and all the mistakes I’ve made, all the bad decisions I’ve made, all the things I could have done differently or done more in, I don’t think I would have changed anything.

For me, the ’60s in the automotive industry was awesome. The cars are heavy, huge, rolling works of art.

I wanted to go back on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ I did it. One of my favorite shows is ‘Hawaii Five-0.’ I went on, guest starred. I wanted to be in a film, did ‘Tasmanian Devils’ in Vancouver. Wanted to host a show, boom, did it.

All the suits I buy have to be tailored, no matter what. But it’s not just because of my height; it’s because I’ve been skating for so long. My waist is very small, but my legs are just huge. Most really nice suit makers are Italian, and usually they make suit pants for Italian men. I’m like, ‘Those Italians must have pretty skinny legs.’

Do I feel any pressure as the most decorated Winter Olympian in American history? None at all. The only pressures that I know I face are those of how to pay it forward: How can I continually make a positive impact in people’s lives, help others achieve their dreams, create their own Olympic mindset, creating champions within themselves?

When you watch a tea ceremony, every single movement, every single gesture is very calculated. It’s very precise, and it’s all protocol. It’s all a part of the system. And it’s almost like they’ve sacrificed every single thing to make that perfect. It’s like their craft.

My dad’s great. He’s my biggest supporter. He’s always told me that whatever I choose to do, I can do it. I just gotta put my mind to it.

I wanted to play football or be a boxer, but my dad didn’t want that because of all the impact. But in 1992 I was watching short track, and it was obscure, but they looked like superheroes in their tight outfits, and I thought it was amazing. I wanted to do that. I made the national team at 14.

I tend to build bulk and muscle easily, and running seems to make sure I stay kind of stringy, if that makes sense.