sportspeople-from-california

"I was so into skating that I really didn’t do much else. Skating takes up your while life, almost. I don’t know if other people kind of feel the same when they look back at certain parts of their life, but for me, it’s definitely a blur, because it kind of meshes together, you know — going to the rink, going home, competing. There were many, many times when I didn’t enjoy it."

"“I actually wouldn’t tell my younger self a thing, ’cause she’s gonna figure out herself. I don’t want to change anything.” -this was from an article summarizing her comments in recent interviews about her mindset and journey, where she was asked what advice she would give her younger self."

"https://dailydot.com/alysa-liu-best-quotes"

"…the Chinese [Communist Party] government was aware of an Instagram post Alysa made about human rights violations against Uyghurs. For a regime sensitive to criticism, especially from high-profile figures, this was enough to put her on a list. Alysa Liu was not just a dissident’s daughter. She was a young American athlete who [had] publicly acknowledged the suffering of a persecuted minority. That combination made her a target. … It is rare for an Olympic gold medal to intertwine with a federal criminal case. It is even rarer for the athlete to be the daughter of a man who once fled China in a smuggler’s boat. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the story is Alysa’s reaction. When asked how she would portray this saga in a possible Hollywood movie, she said she would like to be a “super cool hero,” but the real focus should be on her father. His story, she said, is the one that matters. Alysa Liu’s saga is a reminder that the Chinese government’s campaign against dissidents extends far beyond its borders. It reaches into American cities, into immigrant communities, and even into the lives of children who have never set foot in China. It also reminds us that courage takes many forms. Sometimes it looks like a student leader refusing to betray his classmates in 1989. Sometimes it looks like a man gripping the side of a speeding boat in the dark, fleeing toward freedom. And sometimes it looks like a young woman stepping onto Olympic ice, knowing her family has been watched—and skating anyway."

"I’m so proud of her. The message that this is going to send to young athletes and parents alike that if you consider your mental health and treat it right, great things can happen."

"The thing is, I love.... what I like to share about myself is like my story and my art — my creative process — and I guess messing up doesn’t take away from that. It’s still something, it’s still a story. A bad story is still a story, and I think that’s beautiful. There’s no way to lose."

"I’m here to announce that i am retiring from skating. I started skating when i was 5 so that’s about 11 years on the ice and it’s been an insane 11 years. a lot of good and a lot of bad. ... i feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone. now that i’m finally done with my goals in skating i’m going to be moving on with my life."

"Chess speaks for itself."

"The chess world is officially a joke. THIS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE IN HISTORY. I can’t believe that the official body of chess is being controlled by a singular player FOR THE 2ND TIME THIS WEEK. THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WORLD CHAMPION!"

"My entire life and career have been destroyed. I'll have to live with the fact that every conversation I have about chess, we'll eventually discuss anal beads."

"How. Am I. This! Fucking! Good?! Holy shit! I am the fucking best!"

"No matter the obstacles that I will face, no matter how much you try to blacklist me, no matter what you do to try to ruin my career or slander my reputation—these difficult times... have only invigorated me even more to reach the top of chess. There will be a day when I will be the best chess player in the world."

"I have never cheated in an over-the-board game. And other than when I was 12 years old I have never cheated in a tournament with prize money. I decided the only way to make up for my mistake was to prove that I could win over the board events. That has been my mission. And that is why I have lived in a suitcase and played 260 games in one year, trained for 12 hours a day, because I have something to prove."

"Winning the gold opened up a lot of opportunities, other challenges that I wanted to take on and do in my life."

"Now is really the time to raise more awareness of what’s going on and to demand that things change. This younger generation is not afraid to speak out, I think they’ve given a lot of us courage to really stand up to what’s right, and I think that’s what we need to follow"

"In terms of my career, having the gold definitely changed my life. The Olympics are different, you know? They’re every four years and it’s such a small group. So for me, having achieved the gold, there’s a certain prestige that comes along with it, and responsibilities and things like that, you know, “master to your sport.”"

"Even as an athlete, I am constantly inspired and awed by the stories of Olympians. I was honored to have been asked to exchange ideas in the first charrette."

"I’d never skated just to win a gold medal before; I’d never put that kind of pressure on myself."

"There was always just that challenge of getting better, and every year having a new goal and getting a step closer to the ultimate dream. I really didn’t have the dream of the Olympics until I was maybe in middle school. And, at that point, it started to get a little harder. My life centered around skating—training before and after school. It was a huge time commitment for me and my family."

"Looking back, it's like, wow, those few minutes just made such an impact. We have that much time to kind of prove yourself. I think that's one thing that makes skating so exciting, because it's just intense, and it's quick, and one little slip can mean the difference between placing or not placing."

"The reward of putting a smile on a child’s face, who has to deal with so many challenges in life, is just beyond words. It's incredible."

"I'm a Jew under reformed Judaism, not orthodox. Life is struggle. Winners are hated. Jews win by sticking together against divided gentiles. Jews love persecution. It justifies offense and reinforces the need for strength in numbers to divide and conquer gentiles(non-jews)"

"I was born a vegetarian, I think. Since infancy I never liked meat, never ate it, never ate turkey, chicken, fish or eggs. … I'm so healthy it's embarrassing. If I felt any better I'd have to see a doctor. … I truly believe that fruit is the body's cleanser, vegetables are the body's healer, and meat is the body's premature aging agent and the cause of all diseases except virus disease."

"My veganism stems from Mike Vallely. He was the person, he and Christian Kline … would take me out to dinner and say, “We’ll buy dinner for you if you don’t order meat.” I remember being totally bummed out about that and thinking, “I can’t get the Kung Pow chicken, this sucks.” Then I read some pamphlets and discovered how it was made. I think it takes a weird person to know that and then keep eating it. As I read that stuff, it hit me and I instantly went vegetarian. Then a year later went vegan. I read more information because I was interested, the floodgates opened and there was no turning back. … A lot of kids come up to me at demos and say, “Oh, you’ve skated so long. Is that because you’re vegan?” I’m always the first person on the course and the last person off. I’ve always had good energy. Maybe it’s from eating healthy. … I was just one person who said, “I’m not putting my dollars into this stuff, I’m only putting my dollars in this vegan stuff.” When millions of others do the same, the markets respond. Now there’s great ice cream and great soy milk. Everything you can dream about is made vegan now. That’s something that has transformed over the years. I did my little part, my little sacrifice made a point."

"I always felt tired when I used to eat meat—I got sick of that. Also, I wanted to start a serious training/nutritional program for my surfing competitions. I tried it out (not eating meat) and loved it—I felt so healthy and energetic. I’ve never looked back since! … I believe those (meat) companies … should just think of their pets—if they would like their pets treated like that—and then ask them if they want to continue doing that. … Definitely I want to become a world champion surfer one day, but more importantly, being a good role model for kids and promoting a clean lifestyle."

"I believe in living a vegetarian lifestyle from a health standpoint and I also have deep compassion for animals. I wanted to raise awareness and educate people on the abuse and inhumane treatment that goes on every day in slaughterhouses. … I want people to know that you can still be fit and have curves living a vegetarian lifestyle. … [I have been a vegetarian] since I was little girl. I grew up on a ranch and animals were my pets."

"I want to … empower other women to go vegan to feel better about their body and to live a compassionate lifestyle. … I'm vegan for the animals. If you go into the factory farms, when you see what these animals endure and the torture, it's not right and the only way to not participate in that is to go vegan."

"Man, I remember those nasty turns, and how hard it was to judge them … That's what made it so difficult, and the reason the drivers are always so competitive. I always said if you could win at Stockton, you could win anywhere."

"If you look at the record books, Dale Earnhardt's done everything, except win the Daytona 500. Now they can't have that riding over him. Now they're just going to say, 'Dale Earnhardt, 1998 Daytona 500 winner,' and his shoulders are going to get lighter every time."

"Shave my face with a rusty razor!"

"And you can spit-shine your shoes Pittsburgh, you're going dancing with the Lord of Lords, Lord Stanley!"

"The Stanley Cup has come to the city of Pittsburgh!"

"Lord Stanley, scratch their names on your fabled Cup!"

"Tell your ma, tell your pa, I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas!"

"He's got more moves than Mae West!"

"Great Balls of fire!"

"Scratch my back with a hacksaw!"

"Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley, get me the brandy!"

"Get in the fast lane, Grandma, the bingo game's ready to roll!"

"He beat him like a rented mule."

"He's smiling like a butchers dog!"

"It's a... HOCKEY NIGHT in Pittsburgh!"

"Michael, Michael, Motorcycle."

"Buy Sam a drink and get his dog one, too!"

"She wants to sell my monkey!"

"Call Arnold Slick from Turtle Crick!"

"(Insert Goaltender here) doesn't know whether to cry or wind his watch."

"(Insert Goaltender here) just lost his liquor license."

"Slap me silly, Sidney!"

"Make me a milkshake, Malkin!"