Lolo Jones’ heartbreak at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 is still fresh in her mind.

“I remember when I crossed the line in Beijing and I was just devastated,” Jones said of her disappointing seventh-place finish. “I just felt like somebody had just stabbed me in the stomach and I was just gutted.”

Jones said she wishes the next Olympics were the following day. She couldn’t wait to erase the memory of stumbling on the second to last hurdle. Four years later, she’s qualified for London and is “amped” to accomplish something she’s always wanted – an Olympic gold medal.

“Difficulty is my friend,” Jones said, describing her hurdle competition. “I like the fact that it’s not a predictable race. You can be the world-record holder, you can be the fastest in the world and if you don’t nail it on that day and get over each one of those hurdles, you’re not going to be the winner.”

Jones may have lost the gold in Beijing but she still makes headlines often. Shes’ been linked romantically to Jets quarterback Tim Tebow, featured on HBO’s Real Sports where she revealed she was still a virgin and the subject of a Red Bull campaign that analyzes her track movements and provides tips to improve her speed. She may crave the spotlight — but she craves a gold medal more.

“If life throws you a hurdle -as cliche as it sounds-jump over it, get over it because you can,” Jones says. “I’ve gotten stronger from everytime I’ve had adversity in my life. I just hope [young kids who look up to me] would do the same.”