I learned that the only way you are going to get anywhere in life is to work hard at it. Whether you're a musician, a writer, an athlete or a businessman, there is no getting around it. If you do, you'll win - if you don't, you won't.

If I die... I'd be so mad at myself that I didn't explore that side of me.

We put so much pressure on kids to excel in school at such a young age.

I was growing up in the 50's and 60's. Back then they didn't even know what dyslexia was.

It's not just about me. It's about all of us, accepting one another. We're all different... That's a good thing.

I was afraid the teacher was going to make me read in front of class and I was going to look bad. [But] if I wasn't dyslexic, I probably wouldn't have won the Games. If I had been a better reader, then that would have come easily, sports would have come easily. And I never would have realized that the way you get ahead in life is hard work.

Nobody has milked one performance better than me - and I'm damned proud of it.