While I was preparing these remarks I thought a lot about what I could do to inspire this crowd, and I realized that what might inspire all of you is to reflect on what inspires me and why I skate and why I am here.

I am here because I want to succeed. I am driven by a desire that very few people have which is the privilege to pursue my passion to skate. And I am here because all of you work hard to support that drive, that desire, that goal that all of us need in order to succeed in our sport.

So how do we obtain that success?

By not being afraid to fail.

Success comes only after hard work, disappointment, and failure. In fact sometimes it takes many failures to reach great success. The only bridge from failure to success is perseverance.

It's easier to quit than it is to keep going, but quitting sits like an annoying little monkey perched on your shoulder. You try to shake it off but you just can't because you know in your heart that you took the easy way out by giving in to the fear of failure and disappointment.

As a junior I have more second and third place medals than anyone. I think I might even hold the record for the most non-gold medals at that level. Many times I saw that elusive gold medal hang around someone else's neck.

But I didn't stop. I kept trying even though it was hard. One quote that I am sure we are all familiar with sums things up quite nicely and that is: "If it was easy everybody would do it."

It's easy to walk away because you never have to face another failure if you don't try. The hard part is stepping on that ice again thinking, "you know what — this time I just might do it."

It takes guts and that's what we all applaud ... guts.

Rena and I were 11th our first nationals. I was disappointed and questioned our future even though we had only been together for four months. But then I reviewed the tapes and saw that we had potential. I could actually envision what we would look like if we stayed together.

I had to work through the failure in order to see the success. And I didn't want to be disappointed again, but it was worth the risk of failure if it meant reaching that plateau of success.

And that's why I'm here.

People always ask me: "Why are you here? Why do you still skate?" At times I ask myself the same thing.

Is it for the money? No.

Is to make my parents proud? No. I believe that once we've reached this level our parents are already quite proud of us.

Is it to impress my friends? No.

It's because the feeling I get while skating is a feeling that I can't get anywhere else.

That's what drives me — that something that no one but you can feel.

I've had many successful businesses and have made and lost money. I know that I will always have the opportunity to succeed in business but I won't always have the opportunity to succeed in skating, and I want to take advantage of something that will never be available to me again.

I want to be national champion.
I want to be on the World Team.
I want to go to the Olympics.

And those are things that you just can't buy.

So what's next?

That's a phrase that everyone understands in skating. When we master a new lift or piece of choreography we always say, "What's next?" If we place well in a competition we say, "What's next?"

It's a necessary component of the sport, but with that also comes a lot of pressure.

I always thought that making worlds was my goal and then it shifted to winning nationals. And now we are focused on what we have to do to make it to the Olympics. One might think that with almost five years of experience competing gets easier.

But it doesn't.

It gets harder because you always try to achieve more. You can't be complacent." You don't have that luxury.

I have to continue to push myself to excel beyond my expectations. The pressure is constant, both on and off the ice.

And that's one thing that sort of crept up on me — the responsibility that I carry off the ice not simply because I hold the title with Rena but because I also hold that title with my coach, and with U.S. Figure Skating, and with every other person in this country who supports skating.

I hold that title with all of the people who have helped me get here, and I realize that all of those people expect me to take seriously that responsibility because that responsibility is an honor.

And that leads me back to the beginning of my remarks when I said that I was honored to be here speaking to all of you because it's important for me to tell all of you why I am passionate about this sport, and what keeps me motivated not only to succeed but also to take seriously the responsibility that comes with my success. And yes, I've had many successes up to this point, but I feel that there are many more things I need to accomplish in skating.

To quote from tennis great Billie Jean King: "A champion keeps trying until he gets it right."

Thank you.