You have to go up there and jump high and clear whatever the bar may be. It's a competition within myself. That's how it was even before I was the best in the world, because that's the approach to every competition.
Interpretation
Striving for personal excellence is essential, regardless of external competition.
In this quote, Armand Duplantis emphasizes that the true competition lies within oneself rather than with others. He advocates for personal growth and striving to exceed one's own limits, suggesting that success is achieved by continuously challenging oneself and aiming to improve, rather than simply competing against others.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a sports camp to inspire young athletes.
That's a pretty big advantage to this journey that I've been able to have, is that I was able to start at such a young age because my father built a setup and I was able to build a technique from 3 years up to now. Without the backyard, I'm not whatever I am today. I knew that none of my classmates were pole vaulting.
If I go into years only thinking about medals I'm missing the whole meaning of what I've always been trying to do, which is trying to push myself and push the barriers of what is possible.
It's not necessary to fear the prospect of failure but to be determined not to fail.
Don't worry, be crappy. Revolutionary means you ship and then test... Lots of things made the first Mac in 1984 a piece of crap - but it was a revolutionary piece of crap.
Most of the stuff I try in a game, in the moment, I have supreme confidence I'm going to execute it.
Intense concentration for hour after hour can bring out resources in people that they didn't know they had.
Now is the only time there is. Make your now wow, your minutes miracles, and your days pay. Your life will have been magnificently lived and invested, and when you die you will have made a difference.
We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don't want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.
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