At just 16 years old, I was told that my back would never be the same again. My well-being had been neglected for the opportunity to win a gold medal.
I didn't think I would have an Olympic medal at 21, but I knew I would give my best and play my game. I just viewed it as my first Olympics and that I would take it one match at a time, but to bring a silver home made me very, very happy.
As with every young player these days, Ronaldo is 18.
It's my first Olympics, I'm very young. It's incredible.
When I was young, many people didn't know what figure skating was. Some who knew of it thought of it as dancing on ice. But, as I entered international competitions and got good results, many people got to know more about it and came to cheer for me.
I think Tiger Woods is a determined young man who really wants to play.
I remember as a young player I had this dream of playing in the NBA.
I got to experience soccer at the highest level at a young age; I decided I wanted to be part of that for as long as possible.
I started doing well at Villa when I was six or seven.
I grew up on the tennis court with lots of other kids. There were like 40 kids all afternoon and I was one of the youngest ones, so I always had to chase everybody to keep up.
I started playing ball when I was 4 years old.
I have nothing to lose and think that it's a positive thing that I am young and playing on a good level.
I played all kinds of sports when I was young: tennis, handball, basketball, some soccer. I focused on basketball when I was 16 or 17 and then came to the U.S. when I was 20.
I was 15 when I made my debut for the national team.
When I began running at the age of 10, I didn't have the diet athletes need. It was just rice and vegetables. Every day.
Don't get me wrong - it's amazing playing basketball. But being 19 years old, playing and interacting with grown men with families wasn't fun all the time, especially during a grueling 82-game season. That, mixed with Toronto's freezing winter climate, made me miss my buddies back at Tech even more.
As a young athlete, it was first about having fun; then it was about winning.
When I was 15 years old, I left school and became a professional boxer.
Manchester United could have any goalkeeper in the world. I was a 23-year-old kid from New Jersey who, from an early age, had to cope with Tourette's Syndrome, a brain disorder that can trigger speech and facial tics, vocal outbursts and obsessive compulsive behavior.
Being 19 years old and making the Olympic team on my last lift. I went 6-for-6 and had a perfect Olympic trial. Making the team and being one of the youngest to ever go to the Olympics was pretty special.
There's people out there, Canadians out there, that have high expectations for me, but I mean, I'm still a kid, still trying to learn the game. I'm just trying to develop my skills as much as possible.
I was a 19 year old kid; I was 170 lbs soaking wet. I didn't have an identity. I didn't have a look. I didn't have the proper gear. I was just a young guy trying to be a wrestler. So, to be honest, WWE didn't even give me a second look.
I have the most loyal fans that have been with me since I was 19 years old, when I was just a young guy becoming a world champion.
I would say facing the obstacles surrounding the day-to-day pressures of an elite athlete at a very young age was not the easiest task. Learning to deal with the nerves and feeling the pressure of representing my country, all while wanting to achieve my own dreams, was a big obstacle to plow through.
I started a gymnastics class at five years old, but it became serious at seven.
