Life Doesn't Give You All The Practice

Championships Are Mythical. The Real Champions Are Those Who Live Through What They Are Taught In Their Homes And Churches. The Attitude That 'we've Got To Win' In Sports Must Be Changed. Teach Your Youngsters, Who Are The Future Hope Of America, The Importance Of Love, Respect, Dedication, Determination, Self-sacrifice, Self-discipline And Good Attitude. That's The Road Up The Ladder To The Championships.

To A Sprinter, The Hundred-yard Dash Is Over In Three Seconds, Not Nine Or Ten. The First 'second' Is When You Come Out Of The Blocks. The Next Is When You Look Up And Take Your First Few Strides To Attain Gain Position. By That Time The Race Is Actually About Half Over. The Final 'second' - The Longest Slice Of Time In The World For An Athlete - Is That Last Half Of The Race, When You Really Bear Down And See What You're Made Of. It Seems To Take An Eternity, Yet Is All Over Before You Can Think What's Happening.

We Must Respect The Rights And Properties Of Our Fellowman. And Then Learn To Play The Game Of Life, As Well As The Game Of Athletics, According To The Rules Of Society. If You Can Take That And Put It Into Practice In The Community In Which You Live, Then, To Me You Have Won The Greatest Championship.

People Say That It Was Degrading For An Olympic Champion To Run Against A Horse, But What Was I Supposed To Do? I Had Four Gold Medals, But You Can't Eat Four Gold Medals. There Was No Television, No Big Advertising, No Endorsements Then. Not For A Black Man, Anyway.

Hitler Didn't Snub Me - It Was Our President Who Snubbed Me. The President Didn't Even Send Me A Telegram.