For myself, losing is not coming second. It's getting out of the water knowing you could have done better. For myself, I have won every race I've been in
Ian ThorpeRead
When I go out and race, I'm not trying to beat opponents, I'm trying to beat what I have done ... to beat myself, basically. People find that hard to believe because we've had such a bias to always strive to win things. If you win something and you haven't put everything into it, you haven't actually achieved anything at all. When you've had to work hard for something and you've got the best you can out of yourself on that given day, that's where you get satisfaction from.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of true achievement lies in self-improvement rather than competition with others.
In this quote, Ian Thorpe emphasizes that the key to personal satisfaction in racing and life is not about defeating others, but instead about surpassing one's own previous efforts and striving for personal excellence. He highlights the importance of hard work and dedication, indicating that true success is measured by one's own growth and the effort put forth, rather than just the external validation of winning.
Themes
Self-ImprovementPersonal GrowthHard WorkSatisfactionAchievement
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used during a motivational speech at a sports event to encourage athletes to focus on their personal best.
More from Ian Thorpe
All quotes →The only thing is I am a little bit ashamed of is I didn't come out earlier, that I didn't have the strength to do it, the courage to break that lie. But everyone goes on their own path to do this, and I don't want the struggle to be so hard for other people.
Ian ThorpeRead
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