Today Show
Big thanks to Bryan Powell for transcribing this interview for the site!! :)
The Today Show, NBC, March 4, 2002, interview by Katie Couric:
Katie: The Olympics may be over, but the thrills are just beginning for
America's newest golden girl. This morning Sarah joins us from the New York
Stock Exchange, where she'll be ringing the opening bell. Hi, Sarah!
Sarah: Hi Katie, how are you?
Katie: I'm good, but how are you? You must be exhausted. What have the last
10 days been like for you, Sarah?
Sarah: Yeah, I've been doing a lot, but it's been great. I've been getting a
little spoiled, actually, because people are being so nice to me, and I mean,
so many people have watched it, it's really touched me so much. But you know,
I've been able to go places in limos and you know, I just, it's been really
exciting, but I think it will be good for me to get back to school and
skating now.
Katie: I was going to say, have you been able to get any sleep at all, Sarah?
Sarah: Yeah, I've been so excited, that even when I try to go to sleep, I
look up and I say, wow, y'know, look at what I did and look at all that's
happened, but it's all been really great, and things are winding down.
Katie: Well, let's talk about some of the people and things that have been on
your dance card. The Backstreet Boys, for example. You got to present an
award with the Backstreet Boys at the Grammys. How cool was that?
Sarah: Oh, it was so much fun. I had a great time at the Grammys and I had
such great seats. I was a couple seats down from Celine Dion, and I've always
really admired her, so I went over and I just asked if I could shake her
hand, and she was really friendly. So many of the people were really, really
friendly, and I just had a wonderful experience.
Katie: I bet people, Sarah, were clamoring to shake your hand, too, which
must be a little weird for you to have all these celebrities want a piece of
you as well.
Sarah: Yeah, I'm in a very different situation right now than I was before.
Now, people have seen me skate, and before, I'd only watched them perform,
and so it was, the tables were turned a little bit.
Katie: Let me ask you about which was cooler, obviously, presenting an award
and being on the red carpet must have been pretty neat at the Grammys. So
there you are, looking "mahvelous," I might add, and you also are on the
front of a Wheaties box, and I understand that sort of is the pinnacle for
you. Is that right, Sarah?
Sarah: Yeah, you know, it's always, I've always really admired Tiger Woods,
because he's such a great athlete and he's so disciplined and he's always
worked hard, and he's always strived to be the best that he was in golf, so
when he was on the Wheaties box, I went and bought his picture and I have
kind of a collection of prior athletes on Wheaties boxes, so it's really an
honor to be part of the Wheaties team now.
Katie: You mean you have a collection of the boxes themselves?
Sarah: Yeah, I have a collection of prior athletes so now it's great to have
a box with me on it also.
Katie: Well, make sure you empty the cereal out, 'cause that could get pretty
ugly, Sarah, if you keep those around too long. Meanwhile, tell me about the
parade. I know it was canceled for this weekend because of rain, but it's
been rescheduled for next weekend. The big question is what kind of car
you're going to ride on. I hear it might be a vintage Thunderbird, is that
right?
Sarah: Yeah, I'm not sure, you know, I'd like to also ride with some of my
family and friends in the car, so hopefully there'll be enough room, and
we'll see what we can do.
Katie: Well, let me ask you about your family, Sarah, because I just loved
meeting them so much --
Sarah: They loved meeting you, also.
Katie: -- in Salt Lake City. They were so terrific. You're one of six kids
and all your siblings are wonderful, your parents are great. How are they
handling all of this?
Sarah: They really love it, you know. Right after I won my brother was so
excited. He goes, Sarah, you have no idea what this has done for my social
life! I was thinking, hey, I just skated the performance of my life and here
he is thinking, he's like, now I can have some dates lined up.
[Laughter from both]
Sarah: But they're all so happy, and you know, it's so nice, because at the
Olympics it was kind of a time to bring my family together and so it was
great just to hang out with them because we haven't really been able to spend
much time together this past year.
Katie: What have they done to keep your head from getting too big, Sarah?
Sarah: They just act like they always do, and actually my brothers were home
this weekend, because we thought there was going to be a parade, and so we
were able just to spend time together and laugh, and just do the things that
we were doing before, just annoy each other.
Katie: I know that your family's credited with keeping you so grounded, but
something that I think probably had an enormous impact on your perspective,
Sarah, was the fact that your mom, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer when
you were just 12 years old. That experience, and going through that with your
entire family, has really taught you what's important in life, hasn't it?
Sarah: Yeah, it really changed my life, actually, more than anything has
before or has since, because it was a big time of maturity for me and I had
to learn how to become independent, but I also saw the strength of both my
parents and my family, and how we came together in such a difficult time. And
a lot of times now, we always support breast cancer, and whenever, who's ever
in family's around when the local hospitals have some mammograms or some
screenings, we always go and volunteer our time, because it's so nice just to
be able to try to help other people maybe to prevent the disease or have
early detection. And a lot of times when I'm just walking around, I have a
big rhinestone breast cancer pin, it's a pink ribbon, and so I always wear it
because it reminds me of what we went through as a family.
Katie: Meanwhile, I know you're looking ahead to getting in the high 1500s on
your SATs. Any idea where you might want to go to school, Sarah?
Sarah: Yeah, I'd love to go to an Ivy League college and, you know,
basically, in the future, I'd like to continue, um, striving for excellence
in my skating and school and keeping a balance on both, because both are
really important to me, and I believe with what keeps me happy and keeps me
grounded. I mean, you know, skating's a sport, sometimes you fall, and who
knows? So, skating's just something that I've always had a lot of fun with,
but, it's taught me a lot of lessons also and I think I understand it more
and I appreciate it more because I am able to keep my education going, also.
Katie: Well, Sarah Hughes, I think you've got a bright future on and off the
ice. Thanks, Sarah for talking with us. Have fun today. You're getting a key
to the city, ringing the New York Stock Exchange, the opening bell, you've
got a lot of fun times ahead, so enjoy them.
Sarah: Thank you, Katie.
Katie: OK, bye Sarah.
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