i had a series of childhood illnesses... scarlet fever.... pneumonia.... Polio. I walked with braces until I was at least nine years old. My life wasn't like the average person who grew up and decided to enter the world of sports.

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The potential for greatness lives within us all.

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

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

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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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Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose.

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

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I'm in my prime. There's no goal too far, no mountain too high.

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

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