15 Inspirational Olympic Athlete Quotes

If you ever need a bank of inspiration to get your gears going, look no further than the Olympic athletes who have graced the world with their talents over the many decades. These 15 inspirational Olympic athlete quotes came directly from their lips, and though these quotes may be referencing various Olympic sports, they can be applied to just about anything.

Michael Phelps, Carl Lewis, and Venus Williams are names that you don't forget. They are some of this country's greatest athletic achievers, and their accomplishments make one rethink what is actually possible. So how did they get to be so great? It certainly wasn't by throwing in the towel whenever they failed. Just the opposite, they tried and tried and tried until they achieved their highest goals.

While we can't all be Olympic athletes, there are certainly other areas of our lives where we can "go for the gold." Try applying some of these encouraging and inspiring words to those areas of your life, and see where it takes you. You might be surprised to find that reaching an end goal in the Olympics is a lot more relatable than you might have thought — we are all human after all!

1. "You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get." — Michael Phelps

2. "It’s all about the journey, not the outcome." — Carl Lewis

3. "I’ve wanted to win at everything, every day, since I was a kid. And time doesn’t change a person, it just helps you get a handle on who you are. Even at age 41, I still hate losing — I’m just more gracious about it. I’m also aware that setbacks have an upside; they fuel new dreams." — Dara Torres

4. "If you dream and you allow yourself to dream you can do anything." — Clara Hughes

5. "Falling in life is inevitable — staying down is optional." — Carrie Johnson

6. "As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the most of the talents we’ve been given." — Mary Lou Retton

7. "I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career… I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." — Michael Jordan

8. "Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit." — Wilma Rudolph

9. "You have to believe in yourself when no one else does — that makes you a winner right there." — Venus Williams

10. "Nothing is impossible. With so many people saying it couldn’t be done, all it takes is an imagination." — Michael Phelps

11. "Surpassing my achievements feels incredible; I want to replicate that again and again." — Katherine Reutter

12. "Everything that I’ve ever been able to accomplish in skating and in life has come out of adversity and perseverance." — Scott Hamilton

13. "You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours." — Herb Brooks

14. "There’s always a point where you get knocked down. But I draw on what I’ve learned on the track: If you work hard, things will work out." — Lolo Jones

15. "Never put an age limit on your dreams." — Dara Torres

Images: Getty