I knew that the stronger that I was, the faster I was going to swim, and thats all I had in my mind at the time, was I wanted to be the best swimmer in the world.

We only have two things that we share in this life; we are born and we die. And what we do in between those times, we've got to be happy. I don't let the outside world deter me.

Make yourself an example, achieve it, but don't hurt anyone on the way up. I don't think I did that.

I've always believed that the desire must come from within, not as a result of being driven by coaches or parents.

The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself.

I don't linger on the fact that Dawn Fraser was a great swimmer 40 years ago. That was in the past. I did break 41 world records, but I don't live on that today.

It's a beautiful thing, diving into the cool crisp water and then just sort of being able to pull your body through the water and the water opening up for you.

I probably have a different mental approach to swimming than most people. I actually enjoy training.

If you're good at it, you can win.

I've worked hard all my life.

I can remember crawling through the window where he was in the hospital... He said, 'You have a gift... keep training for me.' I s'pose those were the last words he ever spoke to me.

We will not always be here, so let's make the best use of what we have, when we still have it.

We are all capable!

If you want to know what a truly healthy relationship is, it’s one where both people wake up every morning and say, “I choose to be with this person.

The ever-present macabre, a universal dance, You cannot hide, whether you wield crossbow or lance. Like the bones of the house in which you dwell, Death will come, to drag your soul to hell.

Whatever it was her father wanted, Emma did not know how to provide it. She felt confused by what he did, and imagined the problem was a lack in her, rather than him. And there was something

Give what you have. To someone else it may be better than you dare to think.

People aren't born strong. people grow stronger little by little, encountering difficult situations learning not to run from them.

Nobody wants to be in a mediocre organization. You don't have the same energy flowing through.

Find a balance between one's responsibility as a white person to confront acts of racism and one's subconscious sense of power and privilege over people of color when reacting to the [racist] event.

The greatest truth must be recognition that in every man, in every child is the potential for greatness.