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" I never in a million years thought I would be able to be a Paralympic athlete. "

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" I like to keep my hair and makeup routines easy and simple on race days. "

" It's weird to not know what a family is. Not know what a mother's love is. And not really know what a hug is or anything. "

" I am so happy I have been able to channel all the things that I went through when I was younger and make them into something positive. "

" I was born with legs, but they were so deformed. "

" That's what I'm focused on, having that perfect race. "

" I definitely went through a period where I don't want to say I hated myself, but I hated what I saw in the mirror. I would try to cover it up, and it wasn't until I started doing sports - until after London 2012 - that I kind of started getting more of that confidence in my body and appreciating my body. "

" I'm a person that, once I start something, I can't just quit it. "

" I definitely did not like my body when I first started sports. I didn't like my body just in general as a teenager. Being a girl and a teenager with two prosthetic legs and two hands that were misshapen that had so much reconstructive surgery on them, I thought my world was over - put a zit on top of that, and then my life is completely over. "

" I think it is very unfortunate that there is a ban on adoptions in Russia. "

" Sports were a way for me to get comfortable with my body. I learned to appreciate everything I could still do. "

" It was honestly like 'Annie.' One day I was alone in a cold, dark Eastern European orphanage, and then the next day I was in an enchanted, mystical land known as Walmart. "

" When I first had my legs amputated, it was hard for me to be positive and feel pretty. Many people don't know that someone with a disability can be strong and beautiful and successful as an athlete. "

" I am very lucky to be living my dream. "

" I've gotten a lot of people saying. 'That is awesome. You're so brave.' I hate when people say brave. I'm not brave. I'm just living my life. Why is that brave? "

" I use Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting CC Cream in place of foundation post-workout. I absolutely love that it's quick, easy, and something I can use on the go. It evens out my skin tone, provides SPF 15 protection, and leaves my skin feeling breathable, healthy, and moisturized. "

" The mind is really powerful. "

" Sport has definitely been an outlet for me. "

" My mom literally saved my life. I wasn't supposed to make it out of the orphanage. "

" I could use a little more body, but I'm happy with it. "

" The biggest challenge during competition is keeping my real legs warm with clothing, because I have poor circulation in the tissue around the amputated areas. "

" I was a troublemaker. "

" It doesn't matter what kind of body you have, it's the determination and the spirit that's going to get you there. I want to prove that. "

" In 2012, I was invited to a ski event called the Hartford Ski Spectacular to learn how to sit-ski for the first time. I loved it, but it was not pretty - I was not good. I didn't know how to stop, so I kept throwing myself on the ground. "

" They said if I stayed in the orphanage for another month or so, I basically would not have been able to be alive. "

" It's hard to understand the athlete's lifestyle. You literally eat, sleep, train. You go to training camps in the winter where there is no Internet, you can't make phone calls. "

" I was missing the main weight-bearing bone in both legs. And the left leg, I didn't have a full knee. It was a floating knee. I had six toes. My hands were webbed, and I also have one kidney. I don't have a full bicep on my right side. Thank God my hair didn't get ruined. "

" In 2013, I had the chance to try cross-country skiing on snow and just fell in love with being in nature and how hard it was to pick up the sport. And the snow is sparkly. "

" Growing up in a very poor orphanage in Ukraine, there wasn't much food. "

" I am so proud to be Ukrainian, and I'm also so proud to be an American. "

" With cycling, I can still be active and compete, and ultimately, that's what I love to do, to be competitive. "