Clara Hughes

I have this thing I say to myself that 'tomorrow can be better.' And I remember that period in my life where I never felt like tomorrow could be better. It was always dread for the next day.

My goal is to try to avoid a regular job.

I am nowhere near my limit. I just want to see if there are such things as limits. I want to go and find out.

I was, without exaggeration, a delinquent teenager.

I've learned what it truly means to be Canadian and in turn I've been inspired to make a difference in the world, however small it's been.

I am kind of like a diesel. It is the cyclist in me.

The only reason I've shared my story is to take that tiny baby step of breaking down the stigma attached to depression.

I love working with kids and I want to just be able to do it from my heart and not as a job.

I love skating so much and I feel like every time I step out onto the ice, that's what I'm meant to do.

What I have to do now is figure where my passion is, and follow my heart; I've proven that if I have the passion for something then I can succeed. I haven't been listening to my heart in the last little while.

I've had so many experiences in cycling, but in some ways I have nothing left to prove. I have achieved more than I could have dreamed of, I've raced a lot longer than I thought I would. I know I can still be better, but I just don't know if I love it enough any more.

For 20 years I've had the privilege of representing Canada around the globe... first on the bike and then on my blades. The experiences have shaped me into who I am today.