Apolo Ohno's Quotes

I love to work out and really enjoy the outdoors. I like to immerse myself with sport-related activities and spending quality time with people. I find people to be very inspiring, and I get a lot of motivation from listening and interacting with them, sharing stories and similarities - and differences - in our lives, and learning from each other.

I never had one day that I didn't want to be on the ice, because I always had an objective for that day. I had a rigorous plan and schedule in place that I had to adhere to. It was a step-by-step process of slowly but surely inching toward the Olympic Games and using every day as a series of goals to be accomplished.

I only watch the last 40 seconds. Watching a whole marathon over time, the beginning, middle and end look very slow. I want to see action! I can't help it.

I rolled the second car that I ever owned, a Toyota 4 Runner. This was winter in Colorado, two weeks before the 2002 Olympic trials. I was driving in the outside lane, and my rear tire caught some black ice, and we totally turned sideways to the point where we were heading right toward the median.

I think so many times in our society we focus so much on just the end result; when we finally reach that point we realize that was never the true goal.

I want to break into the acting industry. It's something I have a great deal of respect for; it's a passion of mine. It's so amazing, the differences between acting and being an athlete, but the one commonality is they both evoke emotion in the viewer. And those emotions are real. So I think that's pretty cool.

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.

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 was always active as a child. My dad tried to place me in every sport imaginable. I had so much energy, he wanted to push me in a direction where that energy was used appropriately to keep me out of trouble and focused while I was in school.

I've always wanted to play a role in inspiring people to be better, to live higher quality lives and to feel good about the way that they look and feel.

It is not up to me whether I win or lose. Ultimately, this might not be my day. And it is that philosophy towards sports, something that I really truly live by. I am emotional. I want to win. I am hungry. I am a competitor. I have that fire. But deep down, I truly enjoy the art of competing so much more than the result.

It starts with your diet and then to your exercise... you have to make the right decisions as a consumer and learn about carbs and proteins as well as watching your portion control, and from there you have to stay active as much as possible.

It's about having an active lifestyle, staying healthy, and making the right decisions. Life is about balance. Not everybody wants to run a marathon, but we could all start working out and being active, whether you walk to work or take an extra flight of stairs.

It's important to be driven and have goals. You want an independent woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. It's attractive to me when a woman is doing what she loves. It makes me want to know more.

Japan, not only a mega-busy city that thrives on electronics and efficiency, actually has an almost sacred appreciation of nature. One must travel outside of Tokyo to truly experience the 'old Japan' and more importantly feel these aspects of Japanese culture.

My 'go to' workout is called the Asylum from Beach Body. It's intense training with lots of intervals, core work. It's hard! I travel a lot, so I can take it on the road with me and do it in a hotel room.

My father is 100% Japanese and came to the United States when he was only 18 years old. My grandmother still resides in Japan, which has allowed me to travel to the roots of my ancestors with my father.

My life has always been compartmentalized into different aspects. I have my speed skating Olympic pursuits, I have my personal life and have my business life and have my entertainment - TV - Hollywood - whatever have you - always compartmentalizing every aspect of my life.

My life has always been with my dad. Since I can remember, I was raised by my father my entire life. So he's kind of been that mom and father figure - always.

My small experience on 'Dancing with the Stars' allowed me to slowly appreciate the Waltz and Viennese Waltz, but to see it in Vienna is something much different.

The fact that I didn't have a mom is a challenge; it was a struggle; and we made the best of it, and because of that my relationship with my dad is that much stronger.

The first question is always, 'We loved him on 'Dancing with the Stars,' we loved him in the Olympics, but can he speak English?' Yes I speak English. Yes, I can.

The last thing I want is for people to go through the motions in life. We're all meant to do different things, but there's a lot of opportunity for us to do some great things.

U.S. Speedskating has been riddled with problems since when I started my career, and we were always able to look past that. When it came down to performing on the ice, regardless of funding issues, we were always able to make it happen. And that's what it's all about.

Vancouver is an amazing city and luckily, growing up in the Seattle area, I was able to immerse myself into the culture at a young age, traveling back and forth across the border for skating competitions as a youngster.

We all naturally want to become successful... we also want to take shortcuts. And it's easy to do so, but you can never take away the effort of hard work and discipline and sacrifice.

When I'm done skating, I guarantee you that I will not look back and remember standing on the podium. I'm going to remember these days - being with the team. Training alone, in my basement. Training when everybody else is sleeping. Doing things that nobody else is doing. Digging down. Seeing what kind of character I truly have. I love that stuff.

When there's somebody racing side-by-side, when somebody's right next to me and they're pushing and we're both tired, we're both fatigued, I want to be able to beat them mentally.

When you are at the Olympic Games, it comes down to a ten thousandth of a hair between making the next round or winning a race or getting second or third.

When you reach that competing point, when you reach that time when the gun is about to go off, everyone's level is pretty much the same. The one thing that's going to separate you from everybody else is how you deal with those pressures, how you stay relaxed.

With speed skating, it's like doing one-legged squats over and over again, with that one leg absorbing more than 80 percent of your weight. It takes an enormous amount of strength, and you're in such a weird position.

You'd like people to remember you for these great times on the ice. In reality, you want them to forget because you're doing something new and better.

A lot of times, some of my best ideas happen when I'm running. That's when I do my best thinking.

An Olympic pursuit really takes a full three to four years of Olympic preparation.

Broadcasting is definitely in my cards for the future, and I'm determined to work hard at it - to perfect it and create my style and niche.

Champions all get kicked when they're down.

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

Generally, speed skaters don't run that much. I'm a little bit of an exception in that I run a lot.

I believe my father has and always will be the strongest influence in my life, as he has guided me on many paths.

I could never focus on my upper body as a skater, so I'm enjoying having symmetrical upper and lower body muscle.

I know exactly what I'm doing on the ice, and I'm in my element.

I love to shop. Clothes, electronics, and I love jewelry, especially yellow gold.

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

I think that Subway has shown their own personal commitment as a company and how they believe in healthy choices.

I was an avid swimmer and was state champ at age 12.

I've always liked game shows - the competitive aspect and the character-driven personalities you see.

I've been an athlete most of my life and on a disciplined schedule. Working out for me is just part of my every day.

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.

In school I studied international business and marketing, so I've always been attracted to business.

It's just a goatee. That sounds kind of weird. A soul patch? I don't know how 'soul' it is.

Michael Phelps is a good friend of mine, so I'm very supportive of him.

Music to me is life. It's what gets me going.

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.

My first car was a Toyota 4Runner when I was 17. I paid for it myself. I was very happy.

My girlfriend has been the ice.

My mantra has always been to have zero regrets in life. Everything I do at one speed, I go all-out.

Olympic athletes have to find a job right after they're done competing.