Q&a With Daria Gordeeva-grinkova:

A: Well sometimes I think about it and I think I wish I knew what I would be like right now if I still figure skated. I wish I knew if I would be good or if I would quit later on or if I would've had an injury. It's always something that's going to be in the back of your head: Is that a bad decision that I made. But you can't dwell on the past you just have to go forward and hope that everything is going to be better and fight for it.

Q: Do you get along with your mom pretty well?

A: Yes. Really well, especially lately. Me and my mom have built a really good relationship. We both understand each other really well. I'm lucky she's so young [38] because she actually understands what I'm going through. We never had a oh-you're-grounded type of relationship. It's always been like, "Why did you do that. Figure out what you're doing." She never really gets angry at me. She takes a life perspective on it, which makes it a lot better.

Q: Is it fair to say that she's a role model for you?

A: My mom has been through a ridiculous amount of stuff in her life. I do respect her a lot. She's been through a lot. She was basically put in to ice skating really intensely at age 11. Her life has been different from anyone else's. I respect her a lot for just sticking with it. She still skates now and she's 38. She could be doing anything right now. She's really hardworking. She knows what she wants.

I am proud to say that my mom is my mom.

Q: Do you like Sage Hill?

A: I love it. I had my moments of not liking it. I realized that you can't always try to make everyone happy. You have to make yourself happy first and that's what I'm working on right now. That's my motivation now. To find good people and make myself happy.

Q: Your coach says you always speak your mind. Is that true?

A: I do. I'm not very close mouthed. It's always been like that. If I have something to say I'll say it. I feel like you shouldn't waste what you have to say. But I'm not disrespectful at all. I don't disrespect my coaches but if I have something to say I'm not going to hide it.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at steve.virgen@latimes.com.