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

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I would be disappointed if I were remembered as a runner because I feelthat my contribution to the youth of America has far exceeded the woman who was the Olympic champion

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

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i thought I'd never get to see that. Florence Griffith Joyner -- every time she ran, I ran.

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The triumph can't be had without the struggle. And I know what struggle is. I have spent a lifetime trying to share what it has meant to be a woman first in the world of sports so that other young women have a chance to reach their dreams.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The potential for greatness lives within us all.

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My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces.

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