I didn't have the easiest childhood. I was never the popular girl in school growing up. I was always the lone black girl or the lone fat girl or the long tall girl, so that has made me more compassionate to all people. It also gave me the drive and ambition to go after my dreams in a big way.

I think the biggest issue for women in the workplace is men!

There's no worse way to insult a woman than by saying she looks like a man, but once a woman gets over that, there is no stronger woman.

I view myself as a multicultural woman who happens to be black.

My relationship with Shinsuke - I mean, he's a tremendous guy, we've maintained our friendship for well over a decade, and he's one of those incredible, rare, once-in-a-lifetime athletes whose ability transcends international border, which is something that's not often able to be done.

I know it's very comfortable to sit at home and stay with your family, kids and friends and not worry about anything. But with the platform we have we should be the people that scream at the social issues and put them out there so as a society we can move forward.

In personal life, the warm glow of nostalgia amplifies good memories and minimizes bad ones about experiences and relationships, encouraging us to revisit and renew our ties with friends and family. It always involves a little harmless self-deception, like forgetting the pain of childbirth.

A friend of mine once, when I was 11 years old, mentioned that there was a youth theater, a local amateur youth theater nearby where young people could go every Sunday. And that's where it began, really.