It was a real experience, not just, 'I'm going to the...

It was a real experience, not just, 'I'm going to the Olympics,' but it was a life skill, an eye-opener to the real world situation. I was 16, gone from my parents for two months, living by myself in a hotel. I was in charge of how much I ate, how much sleep I got. You grow up extremely fast. You know how to set goals for yourself, and how to work toward those goals. You know time management and how to work through adversity.