Take pride in exactly what it is you do and remember it's okay to fail as long as you don't give up.

You need to become more than one type of athlete. You have to be a sprinter, a weight man and a distance guy all in one.

Breaking the world record in '92 was a very special personal moment, but I'd say my favorite moment as a decathlete was winning the Olympic gold medal.

And there is such a thing as a decathlon high. It's like a rock rolling down hill, picking up momentum. You get better and better.

As a young child, I was never a crier. I never cried to get my way, or even when I was in pain.

Try everything, because you're never sure what you're going to be great at.

You have to be able to be a good loser. You have to be okay knowing you're going to fail every day in something without getting mad and upset.