She was winning on artistic roller skates, then in-lines came out and she picked that right up. She was winning, winning, winning. But then she lost interest in it. By that time, Rodriguez had developed a relationship with Boutiette, who switched from in-line to ice before the 1994 Olympics and wound up making the U.S. team. He encouraged her to follow the same path.
Ice is a whole new sport, a whole new shot.
I was slipping all over the place. It was awful. Rodriguez didn't receive much sympathy from her boyfriend. I pushed her. I didn't let up on her.