"Sometimes it takes years to really grasp what has happened to your life."

"My doctor told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother."

"No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you."

"The feeling of accomplishment welled up inside of me, three Olympic gold medals. I knew that was something nobody could ever take away from me, ever."

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

"Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday."

"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 ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened."

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

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

"The triumph can't be had without the struggle."

"I believe in me more than anything in this world."