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I don’t count my sit-ups. I only start counting once it starts hurting.
—Muhammad Ali
American boxerYou can achieve anything in life. It just depends on how desperate you are to achieve it.
—Milkha Singh
SprinterChampions keep playing until they get it right.
—Billie Jean King
American tennis playerThe more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.
—Pele
Brazilian footballerIf you have everything under control, you’re not moving fast enough.
—Mario Andretti
Italian-born American racing driverYou can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.
—Michael Phelps
American swimmerHappiness is nothing but satisfaction—satisfaction through work, thoughts and accomplishing our mission.
—PT Usha
Track and field athletePractice is a talent. Perseverance is a talent.
Hard work is a talent.
—Abhinav Bindra
Sharp shooterIf you want to achieve something in life, you have to take risks.
—Dipa Karmakar
GymnastSome people say I have attitude—maybe I do…but I think you have to. You have to believe
in yourself when no one else does—that makes you a winner right there.
—Venus Williams
American tennis playerWhoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts’, probably lost.
—Martina Navratilova
Czech-American tennis playerAt the end of the day, if I can say I had fun, it was a good day.
—Simone Biles
American gymnastPeople praise you only till the time you are performing on the field; the day you stop, they won’t even look back at your career. You have to be practical as a player and keep performing.
—Jhulan Goswami Cricketer
(This story appears in the 16 July, 2021 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)