TIME 100: Adam Rippon reveals 'epiphany' he had at the Olympics

Adam Rippon may have been thrown into the spotlight when he became an overnight star during the 2018 Winter Olympics, but he's more than ready to take on his newfound fame.

The Olympic figure skater caught up with AOL Entertainment at the 2018 TIME 100 Gala on Tuesday night and explained how an "epiphany" he had during the Olympics has helped him to navigate being in the public eye.

"When I was at the Olympics -- after the competition was done -- I felt like I had this epiphany that I was finally doing what I was meant to do my entire life," he told us. "To have this platform and these opportunities to share my story and make people laugh and to be considered a voice for other young people still seems completely surreal, but I know I’m ready for that responsibility."

SEE ALSO: TIME 100 Gala 2018: Red carpet arrivals

Proof of Rippon's quick impact is the fact that he was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, alongside stars with decades-long careers like Nicole Kidman, John Krasinski and Hoda Kotb.

See photos of Adam Rippon:

To make things even wilder for the 28-year-old, Cher wrote the accompanying blurb for the annual TIME issue.

"All figure skaters are beautiful, but Adam Rippon is different," Cher wrote of Adam. "He isn’t just a beautiful skater. He has humility, grace and an incredible sense of humor."

For Rippon, the honor of having such a legendary performer pay tribute to him was the icing on the cake. He told AOL Entertainment that he already followed Cher's notoriously wild Twitter account before he found out that she wrote about him.

"I’m a huge Cher fan because she speaks in mostly emojis, which I do love," he said with a laugh. "Sometimes I need to spend a few hours with a cup of hot tea and really decode it. But I’ll get there. I love her. I love a good scavenger hunt."

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