Kate Gosselin: I Was ‘Facing My Fears’ on DWTS

After tearfully bidding farewell to the Dancing with the Stars cast on Tuesday night, Kate Gosselin said she was glad she made it as far as she did in the competition.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I wasn’t a dancer,” she tells PEOPLE. “I was facing my fears. I’m really thankful to have had such an incredible opportunity.”

The mom of eight was voted off the show along with partner Tony Dovolani after scoring 15 out of 30 points Monday night with their Breakfast Club-themed foxtrot — and after several weeks of low scores and disparaging reviews from the show’s panel of judges.

“This is a win for us,” said Dovolani. “Nobody gave her a chance past the second week. The fact that we made it past the second week is all thanks to the fans.”

Despite expressing frustration with continued bad reviews, Gosselin says she wasn’t ready to take off her dancing shoes. “I’m going to miss the excitement, I’m going to miss Tony,” she says. “I’m not going to miss the fear of a new dance or the scores.”

She also won’t miss the commute between Los Angeles and her home (and kids) in Pennsylvania. “I’m going to go home and start making dinner and hanging out with my kids,” she says. “I’m always looking forward to spending more time with my kids.”