All growing up, the outside world wants to tell you what you can and cannot do as a female - what sports are acceptable, what sports are appropriate, what is appropriate to study, what is appropriate to say. But luckily, I have a strong family, and my mom is the most amazing mom in the world. She never let me worry about biases.

I grew up playing softball, and at the age of nine, I decided I was going to be an Olympian. I didn't really know what that meant at the time. I thought it might be in a warm summer sport like softball, but I played a variety of sports growing up - basketball, soccer and track. I really didn't care. I just wanted to be an Olympian.

Growing up, most girls have this image of how they want their wedding to be and things like that. I had none of that except for the cake I wanted, and that's what I got. The cake was the first thing we ordered.

I was a shortstop in softball, and a lot of times I had collisions with base runners coming in, so I definitely have scars.

Arsenal fans are real lovers of the game. They don't miss anything in the stadium and are there for the team and the individual players. I have to admit I love banners like 'We don't need Batman, we've got Robin' and stuff like that.

Nah, I don't watch TV either, apart from a few sports programmes. I just don't have the time.

I've played sports and been active my whole life.

You'd like more people to recognise what you do is special. But I take the attitude that the best thing I can do for my sport is to be the best at it. The best way people will come to recognise that track and field is a great sport is to see athletes excelling at it.