By the time I was 12 I was challenging every boy in our neighborhood at running, jumping, everything.

When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.

I knew that whatever I set my mind to do. I could do.

It doesn't matter what you're trying to accomplish. It's all a matter of discipline. I was determined to discover what life held for me beyond the inner-city streets.

Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.

I loved the feeling of freedom in running, the fresh air, the feeling that the only person I'm competing with is me.

Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle.