But when you come from a large, wonderful family, there's always a way to achieve your goals.

I don't consciously try to be a role model, so I don't know if I am or not. That's for other people to decide.

No matter what great things you accomplish, somebody helps you.

When I was going through my transition of being famous, I tried to ask God, why was I here? What was my purpose? Surely, it wasn't just to win three gold medals. There has to be more to this life than that.

The triumph can't be had without the struggle.

I know black women in Tennessee who have worked all their lives, from the time they were twelve years old to the day they died. These women don't listen to the women's liberation rhetoric because they know that it's nothing but a bunch of white women who had certain life-styles and who want to change those life-styles.

I don't know why I run so fast. I just run.