God knew my needs and took care accordingly.

If I can take it, I can make it.

If you can take it, you can make it.

Someone who doesn't make the (Olympic) team might weep and collapse. In my day no one fell on the track and cried like a baby. We lost gracefully. And when someone won, he didn't act like he'd just become king of the world, either. Athletes in my day were simply humble in our victory. I believe we were more mature then...Maybe it's because the media puts so much pressure on athletes; maybe it's also the money. In my day we competed for the love of the sport...In my day we patted the guy who beat us on the back, wished him well, and that was it.

I'd made it this far and refused to give up because all my life I had always finished the race.

Pain is that last quarter of a mile. You feel it, but when you’re through racing, your whole body just feels elated. So the pain is worth it.

All I knew was that hate was so deadly as any poison and did no one any good. You had to control and eliminate it, if you could.