Adrian Diaz and Olivia Smart, Ice dancing, Spain

After failing to make the Olympics four years ago, Spanish ice dancing pair Olivia Smart and Adrian Diaz worked on communicating more constructively so there wouldn't be any tension on the ice.

"We can't say it was easy. It took five years for us to fully understand what we had to do,"Smart says. "Not just for skating and training but for life."

Whether it's a teammate, friend or family member, Smart says she learned that improving communication can take time and patience.

"But those breakthroughs do come－they just take time and patience. If you give it that time, it is so worth it," she says.