We all bullet point our triumphs, but I am who I am because of everything you don't see on my CV. The stuff that doesn't work out teaches you how to trust your instincts and adapt.

I am living proof that the American dream still exists. It is still alive and well. There is only one trick, you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and work very, very hard.

I eat a balanced diet. The secret is to watch your portions, but I also work out a lot. Working out a lot isn't necessary, but I am very active, and my body can endure intense workouts.

But I have fun with the fright, work with it. You have to - that's your timing, that beat of excitement. And when I go on stage, it's just like taking a step into heaven. Poof, you know? Poof - and there I am.

If someone is nice enough to come up to you and tell you how much they enjoy your work, and all they want in return is to take a photograph and for you to chat for five minutes, then I am delighted to do that.

I enjoy those small chats you have when people come up and talk to you about your work. It only involves a few seconds of effort to be nice to those people, and I am very grateful for the kind words that people have taken the trouble to express to me in person.

To be honored by your peers is incredibly gratifying and I am so thankful to my colleagues across the league for this recognition. I'm also grateful to the talented and dedicated coaching staff I work with every day in Toronto. To be recognized with an award that bears Michael H. Goldberg's name is very special.

There's an old adage of, 'This is what I do, it's not who I am.' There is a line that gets blurry at times because you sometimes become your work, or you sometimes put so much into your work that you can't separate from it. It swallows you up. It really happens during the season and it's a difficult line to manage.

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