Selma Blair's Inspiring Dancing with the Stars Journey, in Her Own Words

"I am beyond thrilled. Realizing the support of people, when you try, it's changed my life. So, to be here with this group — people I've never even met — this is a thrill. This is so powerful to me."

— to Good Morning America the day her casting news was announced

"I'm so excited. I'm so happy, so invigorated by this. This is a new chapter of growing my stamina and really healing. Not just healing, but finding huge strength and support.

"It is for the viewer, because that is what has given me support. In dark times in my life, there are people that have come forward — strangers on the street or on Instagram, my original fans ... I'm doing it for them.

"Kindness and visibility is so important — to explore, be curious and expose people to differences of speech or movement. It's for everyone at home that it resonates with."

— to E! News

"I want to perform in a way that uses my body. Doing this can only help me in the long run. I've underestimated me in the past so don't underestimate me."

— to partner Sasha Farber during week one rehearsals

"I actually never had a dance before with anyone… I never had someone ask me to dance in that way. To learn at least one dance, I mean the gratitude. To have Sasha hold me in a frame so I could leave my walking assistance behind and feel like, 'Wow, he can help me be fluid and move,' and knowing how much support from people literally, physically, and figuratively, what it means and it feels so good … it did, it felt like a fairy tale."

— to Access Hollywood following her week one performance

"The main thing was I had really kind of stalled in a point of recovery. I just couldn't get motivated to get stronger… Then this opportunity came and for the first time in my life I was like, 'Yeah, it makes sense…' I want to start learning how to build myself up again. Even though I am comfortable with myself, I have not been that strong. I just want to say, I think that people might look at MS or chronic illnesses as one thing, but all of us in the community know, it's just as varied as everyone else everywhere, and with support it's amazing what we can do."

— to Access Hollywood

"That's such a gift to inspire anybody. That is not something in my life I ever thought I would do. And I think with perspective, being a mom and growing older and really valuing my sobriety and things, that being vulnerable has really been a gift to me because I think I do have a lot of relatable human issues that so many people have. But I'm also someone that gets to be in a spotlight, and so I just roll with that and I'm learning to roll with it better."

— to reporters following her week two performance

"I've been trying [to do a carthwheel] for so many years since that really big flare that set me back of MS. And to be able to invert and do it and just calm enough to go into a split without having my body go into some spasticity just gives me confidence that there's so many things to still try and do in life and can improve ... I never thought I'd be able to stand on a dance floor and do a jive. Even before MS."

— to reporters following her week two performance

"I don't think people understand what this show means to us here, especially this season. Everyone had such incredible reasons for being here, so wholesome and good. To see the audience react to each and every one of us and our efforts, it's so heartening."

— following her final dance in week five

"I've been monitored and in touch with my doctors this whole process. I had these MRIs and when the results came back, it just all adds up to I can't. I can't. I can't go on with the competition. I pushed as far as I could.

"With a chronic illness, you do have special considerations and my body is definitely taking a hit. It's way too much for the safety of my bones. There's just intensive bone trauma and inflammation among rips and tears so I could do extensive damage that of course, I do not want."

— announcing her departure from the show on week five

"It's so hard for me to take care because I don't want to, 'cause I want to be here. But I know as a mom and someone that also wants to represent some people that are taking chances and sometimes there are just consequences to any chance you take. And mine is fine. I'm going to be okay. Sometimes there's going to be uncomfortable things to do in life and you just do it with a smile."

— announcing her departure from the show on week five

"I had gains here physically that I couldn't get in physical therapy or through Zoom therapy with my body or balance. This was a real immersion therapy.

"It's going to be hard [to stay motivated] because it's like you almost need this intensity to feel some internal competition in it to push myself. [Now], I can calm down a lot better now when confronted with a new task."

— to reporters after her week five exit