The only person who can stop you from reaching your goals is you.
Jackie Joyner-KerseeRead
We live in a world where sports have the potential to bridge the gap between racism, sexism and discrimination. The 2012 Olympic Games was a great start but hopefully what these games taught us is that if women are given an opportunity on an equal playing field the possibilities for women are endless.
Interpretation
Sports can unite people and promote equality, particularly for women.
This quote emphasizes the transformative power of sports to overcome social barriers such as racism, sexism, and discrimination. It highlights the importance of providing equal opportunities for women in sports, suggesting that with such opportunities, women can achieve remarkable things, as demonstrated by events like the 2012 Olympic Games.
In practice
In a speech about empowering women in sports, this quote can serve as a powerful reminder of the changes that can be made.
The only person who can stop you from reaching your goals is you.
Winning is great, but being able to finish my last Olympic Games on American soil was very important. Even though I was injured, I didn't let my psyche get the best of me and cause me to doubt myself, so I was willing to pull every muscle in my body in '96 in order to get the job done and I came away with the bronze medal.
The 2012 London Olympic Games fostered a generation of hope. I witnessed women participating for the very first time, representing every nation.
It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.
I set my sights on making an Olympic team, not realizing how tough it was going to be.
There are many women who came before me who didn't really have the same opportunities that I have had. That's why I always wanted to be a great ambassador - not only today's generation - but for the women who really didn't have a voice, but who paved the way for me.
I just always loved comedy and I really wanted to be good at it. And it was heartbreaking, 'cause I started and I wasn't good at it. I was only 17-years-old, so I had a lot to learn about life in general. But I just kept on trying. I was young enough and stupid enough and I had no other choice. I had nothing else I was good at.
I believe that if you have revolutionary potential, you must make the world a better place and use it.
For me at age 11, I had a pair of binoculars and looked up to the moon, and the moon wasn't just bigger, it was better. There were mountains and valleys and craters and shadows. And it came alive.
I think every teenager is a hero. When we are young we feel so much pain. Go to school is like going to war, people let you down all the time. Sometimes it's very, very difficult to stay strong, but you have to.
I didn't even start dancing until I was in my thirties, and it was like flying.
There are people out there with disabilities doing amazing things but unfortunately they don't get the chance to show off - they don't get out of the house and get amongst the general public, and when they do, often the public doesn't know how to handle it.
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