“The power of the human will to compete and the drive to excel beyond
the body's normal capabilities is most beautifully demonstrated in the
arena of sport.” — Aimee Mullins, Women’s Sports Foundation President
“Know yourself. Never forget where you came from, and reach back to help someone else come forward too.” —
Alpha Alexander, co-founder of the Black Women in Sports Foundation
“Today we celebrate how far we've come. But we must also recommit
ourselves to Title IX’s goal of equality in education, for too many
school and education programs still drag their feet and lag behind in
their responsibility to our young women and girls.” —
President Bill Clinton on the 25th anniversary of Title IX
“Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential.
It’s dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes
you great.” —
Billie Jean King, Founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation
“If you’ve given the greatest effort that you can expect of yourself, you always get what you deserve.” — Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer, the first coach in women’s or men’s
college basketball to lead three different programs to the Final Four
“Find something that you're really interested in doing in your life.
Pursue it, set goals and commit yourself to excellence. Do the best
you can.” —
Chris Evert, tennis champion and winner of 18 Grand Slam titles
“If you want to touch the other shore badly enough, barring an impossible
situation, you will. If your desire is diluted for any reason, you’ll
never make it.” —
Diana Nyad, who swam 102.5 miles between Bahamas and Jupiter, Fla., for a world long distance record
“I know what I have to do, and I’m going to do whatever it takes. If I do
it, I’ll come out a winner, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else does.” —
Florence Griffith Joyner, world champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist in track and field
“Girls playing sports is not about winning gold medals. It’s about
self-esteem, learning to compete and learning how hard you have to work
in order to achieve your goals.” — Jackie Joyner-Kersee, member of the International Women’s Sports Hall
of Fame and three-time Olympic gold medalist in track and field
“Athletics brings out a side of you that is wonderful. It brings out so
many good attributes like competing, intensity and playing at the
highest level.” —
Julie Foudy, Olympic gold medalist and former Women’s Sports Foundation president
“The something inside me that always fought to win, that never gave into
the pain and that accepted no less than 110 percent has never been
gone ... because that something was simply me.” —
Julie Krone, the first woman to win a Triple Crown race and be inducted into the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame
“An athlete gains so much knowledge by just participating in a sport.
Focus, discipline, hard work, goal setting and, of course, the thrill
of finally achieving your goals. These are all lessons in life.” —
Kristi Yamaguchi, world champion figure skater
“The common denominator is that we want to make the world a better
place, for women and for everybody, and we do it through sport.” —
Lyn St. James, seven-time Indianapolis 500 participant and
and the only woman named Indy Rookie of the Year
“Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like muscles of the body.” —
Lynn Jennings, world champion runner
“Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours,
countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not
knowing when it would come.” —
Serena Williams, eight-time winner of the Australian Open
“Be positive and work hard. I think it’s possible to overcome anything, if you’re willing to work at it.” —
Sheryl Swoopes, three-time WNBA MVP
“The triumph can’t be had without the struggle. And I know what struggle
is. I have spent a lifetime trying to share what it has meant to be a
woman first in the world of sports so that other young women have a
chance to reach their dreams.” — Wilma Rudolph, Olympic gold medalist and first American woman to win three gold medals in the Olympic Games