If You Don't Try To

The Battles That Count Aren't The Ones For Gold Medals. The Struggles Within Yourself - The Invisible, Inevitable Battles Inside All Of Us - That's Where It's At.

Hitler Didn't Snub Me - It Was Our President Who Snubbed Me. The President Didn't Even Send Me A Telegram.

If You Don't Try To Win You Might As Well Hold The Olympics In Somebody's Back Yard. The Thrill Of Competing Carries With It The Thrill Of A Gold Medal. One Wants To Win To Prove Himself The Best.

There Is Something That Can Happen To Every Athlete And Every Human Being; The Instinct To Slack Off, To Give In To Pain, To Give Less Than Your Best; The Instinct To Hope You Can Win Through Luck Or Through Your Opponent Not Doing His Best, Instead Of Going To The Limit And Past Your Limit Where Victory Is Always Found. Defeating Those Negative Instincts That Are Out To Defeat Us, Is The Difference Between Winning And Losing - And We All Face That Battle Every Day.

I Wanted No Part Of Politics. And I Wasn't In Berlin To Compete Against Any One Athlete. The Purpose Of The Olympics, Anyway, Was To Do Your Best. As I'd Learned Long Ago From Charles Riley, The Only Victory That Counts Is The One Over Yourself.