“Heath knew me when I was a gangly little girl with bloody kneecaps and prairie grass in my hair. He'd seen me sobbing and weak and shaking with helpless rage. He knew my pressure points. He knew how to provoke me.
Garrett had never known me as Kat Shaw from Nowhere, Illinois. I could leave her behind, as abruptly and heartlessly as Heath had left me. With Heath, I could be myself. But with Garrett, I could be someone better.
And if Heath wanted to see me again? He could watch me on television winning goddamn gold medals with Garrett Lin.”
Source: The Favorites
“Katarina Shaw was in the building, and that bitch had come to win.”
Source: The Favorites
“It was high school. Evil is kind of the name of the game.”
Source: Who Do You Love
“Scores give better decision than judges.”
Source: Wealth of Words
“When it was [Larry] Bird's turn [to sign souvenir Team USA basketballs], he said to [Brian] McIntyre ' What's the quickest it's taken anyone to do this?' McIntyre said between fifteen and twenty minutes. Bird said, 'Time me,' finished in about six minutes, tossed the pen to McIntyre and said, 'Won another one, didn't I?”
Source: Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
“I told Coach, ‘You know, I realize we’ve been working hard for this, but the medal almost doesn’t matter anymore because I feel like you all have elevated me in such a way that I never could have duplicated that.’ The reinforcement of the journey is so valuable, not just the prize or medal hanging around your neck. And we had such a special time pursuing that together.
-- Denna Kastor, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon”
Source: Chasing Excellence: The Remarkable Life and Inspiring Vigilosophy of Coach Joe I. Vigil
“Olympics (noun): A Corporate Jamboree revolving around sport. Gold medals are awarded for excellence in product placement, brand positioning, advertising, consumerism, propaganda, brainwashing, mind control, conditioning, and the creation of a false consciousness.”
Source: The Rigged Race of Life
“In a study that examined clothing and athletic performance, researchers found that athletes who wore red clothing in the 2004 Olympic Games won more events than those athletes who wore blue.”
Source: The Power of Tattoos: Twelve Hidden Energy Secrets of Body Art Every Tattoo Enthusiast Should Know
“Mihai loomed over me. 'Your choice,' he said encouragingly. 'Do you want to make it because you could have done a little bit more? You can suffer now and be a champion for the rest of your life. Or you can rest and risk a different outcome. Keep pushing, Aly....”
Source: Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything
“I think we all realized that making the Olympic team could be harder than winning team gold at the Games itself.”
Source: Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything