I actually had huge problems with my glasses steaming up all the time. I had to train very carefully around the limitations caused by wearing them.

I receive kindness every day. I love to smile when I'm out and about, and if someone smiles back, which happens about half the time, I think that's an act of kindness every couple of minutes in my day.

When I was a kid, people kept saying, 'You can't do this, you can't do that,' and I wanted to prove them wrong.

The only airline I avoid like the plague is Ryanair. I don't like that, when you book, there are then all of these little extras to pay for, and you end up paying more than just flying with British Airways.

Americans are very much 'Win! Win! Win!' In England, we don't give a fig whether you win. It's great if you do, but we appreciate those who don't.

I was a true amateur and embodied what the Olympic spirit is all about. To me, competing was all that mattered.

If you have got a dream and you've got ambition, then go for it. You know, unless you try, you'll never know.

Both parents were hard-working and made me work for my pocket money by doing household chores. That taught me the value of money and gave me a strong work ethic.

If there were some people who considered me a joke, I'm sorry about that. But I did not do it for any other reason except that I loved to ski jump, and I had hopes that by my doing it, other people in my country would take up the sport.

That James Bond movie? The one where Bond skis off a cliff, shucks his skis, and parachutes to the ground? That's for me. That's what I want to be. A stuntman in a Bond movie.

In my case, there are only two kinds of hope - Bob Hope and no hope.

I've never really let any kind of negative things affect me, generally. I would take a positive out of the most desperately horrible situation.

I made my dream come true despite all the obstacles - no money, no training, no skis, no snow.

I had no money, no training facilities, no snow, no ski jumps, no trainer, but I still managed to ski jump for my country - and getting there was my gold medal.

I'm the Eagle: I can fly.

Maybe I am a little bit of a clown, but I am also a serious sportsman.

Getting to the Olympic Games was my gold medal.

After my ski jumping career finished, I went back to school to study law, and now I travel between five to 20 times a year doing after-dinner speaking, motivational talks, appearances, openings, TV and radio shows.

Resilience can go an awful long way.

Where is it written that the Olympics are only for winners?

I wish they'd build a ski jump at the Grand Canyon; it'd be fantastic.

I play this game to win.

You play to win a ring.

My role is to go out there and help the team in any way possible.