69 Motivational Athlete Quotes That’ll Kick Your Life into High Gear

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Ready to lace up your motivation shoes and sprint towards success? You’re in luck as we’ve got a lineup of quotes that’ll make even your couch feel inspired. 

Whether you’re a sports fanatic or someone who considers channel surfing an Olympic event, these quotes are guaranteed to get your mental gears grinding.

Get charged up by the electrifying thoughts of athletic titans who’ve not only talked the talk but sprinted, jumped, and slam-dunked the walk. 

 

1. “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” — Babe Ruth

2. “If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.” — Mark Spitz

3. “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” — Michael Jordan

4. “If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it.” — Ronnie Lott

5. “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” — Jack Dempsey

6. “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” — Bobby Unser

7. “You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.” — Herb Brooks

8. “You can motivate by fear, and you can motivate by reward. But both those methods are only temporary. The only lasting thing is self-motivation.” — Homer Rice

9. “It is action that creates motivation.” — Steve Backley

10. “Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding.” — Jim Valvano

11. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” — Tim Notke

12. “You’re never a loser until you quit trying.” — Mike Ditka

13. The ticket to victory often comes down to bringing your very best when you feel your worst. — David Goggins

14. “It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.” — Evander Holyfield

15. “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” — Matt Biondi

16. “To give any less than your best is to sacrifice a gift.” — Steve Prefontaine

17. “It’s all about the journey, not the outcome.” — Carl Lewis

18. “The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t win’ is you and you don’t have to listen.” — Jessica Ennis-Hill

19. “Continuous effort — not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential.” — Liane Cardes

20. “There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” — Derek Jeter

21. “Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” — Arnold Palmer

22. “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” — Heywood Broun

23. “An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head.” — Emil Zatopek

24. “Passion first and everything will fall into place.” — Holly Holm

25. “The past doesn’t matter. Take today.” — Becky Sauerbrunn

26. It may be satisfactory, but that’s another word for mediocrity. — David Goggins

27. “You can’t always be the best. You have to remember that everyone makes mistakes sometimes.” — Aly Raisman

28. “Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” — Bo Jackson

29. “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” — Tommy Lasorda

30. “Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.” — Ted Williams

31. “Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.” — Larry Bird

32. “The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.” — Joe Paterno

33. “Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way.” — Satchel Paige

34. “It’s not pressure unless you are not prepared.” — Colin Kaepernick

35. “The wall is your mind playing tricks on you. You just need to say, ‘One more step, I can do this. I have more in me.’ You’ll be so proud of yourself once you push past your threshold.” — Kerry Walsh

36. “You control your own wins and losses.” — Maria Sharapova

38. “Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle.” — Wilma Rudolph

39. “If you go around being afraid, you’re never going to enjoy life. You have only one chance, so you’ve got to have fun.” — Lindsey Vonn

40. “You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits.” — Michael Phelps

41. “If something stands between you and your success, move it. Never be denied.” — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

42. “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” — Kobe Bryant

43. It’s a tough pill to swallow but we can either run from adversity or we can face our adversity head on and conquer it. And that’s what I plan to do. — David Goggins

44. We’re not just here to take part — we’re here to take over. — Conor McGregor

45. “Don’t be afraid of failure. This is the way to succeed.” — LeBron James

46. “I believe in the impossible because no one else does.” — Florence Griffith Joyner

47. “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually, it will subside and something else will take its place.” — Lance Armstrong

48. “Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t pretend that you do and, and some point, you will.” — Venus Williams

49. “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.” — Rocky Balboa

50. “Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.” — Lou Holtz

51. Timing beats speed. Precision beats power. — Conor McGregor

52. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” — Babe Ruth

53. “A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever.” — Mary Lou Retten

54. “Passion first, and everything else will fall into place.” — Holly Holm

55. “Train hard, turn up, run your best and the rest will take care of itself.” — Usain Bolt

56. “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.” — Laird Hamilton

57. “Victory is in having done your best. If you’ve done your best, you’ve won.” — Billy Bowerman

58. “Most talented players don’t succeed. Some don’t even make the team. It’s more what’s inside.” — Brett Favre

59. “The only way to prove that you’re good at a sport is to lose.” — Ernie Banks

60. “How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game.” — Lou Holtz

61. “Don’t wait for opportunity. Create it.” — Unknown

62. “You’ll never know what you’re capable of until you take that first step and just go for it.” — Natasha Hastings

63. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger

64. “True champions aren’t always the ones that win, but the ones with the most guts.” — Mia Hamm

65. “I really think a champion is defined not by their wins, but how they recover when they fall.” — Serena Williams

66. “If you can’t outplay them, outwork them.” — Ben Hogan

67. “One man practicing sportsmanship is better than 50 men preaching it.” — Knute Rockne

68. “The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.” — Pele

69. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” — Jim Ryun

70. “Nothing will work unless you do.” — John Wooden

71. “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” — Arthur Ashe

72. “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” — Lou Holtz

73. “The game is 90% mental, the other half is physical.” — Yogi Berra

74. “Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.” — Bill Russell

These nuggets of wisdom from our athletic heroes are more than just locker room talk – they’re life lessons wrapped in sweat-soaked packaging. 

Whether you’re tackling a big project at work, chasing a personal goal, or just trying to get through a tough day, remember: these champions faced their own hurdles and came out on top.

Let these quotes be your daily dose of get-up-and-go. After all, if these words can inspire people to break world records and win gold medals, imagine what they could do for your Monday morning motivation!