You don't have to know people personally for them to be role models. Some of my most important role models were historical or literary figures that I only read about - never actually met. ↗
I didn't have parents, so I lived in people's homes... And because I grew up with no parental role models, I learned to become my own friend, eventually my own father and my own mother. ↗
I think kids should have a mentor and a role model, but that they shouldn't take one person's opinion to be what we call final assessment or judgment about how life is supposed to be. ↗
In terms of being a role model, I didn't start out to be one. I don't go to work every day with that in mind. But, I do get a lot of fan mail from young girls. ↗
Especially in the car ride to and from gym. I find myself spacing out a lot, just visualizing what the Olympics would be like and just having such great role models. ↗