To me, every person who smoked was voluntarily killing themselves, and doing it quite openly.

No one should ever be afraid of failing; it’s being afraid to give it your all in trying that I urge against.

If we let our head drop, our heart drops with it. Keep your head up, and your body is capable of amazing feats.

There is a special mystique about the marathon, for example, because of its length-but that’s just the bit you do at the end of an Ironman.

It’s when the discomfort strikes that they realize a strong mind is the most powerful weapon of all.

We all have talents that, sometimes, we never quite fulfill. We’re all scared, deep down, but maybe we just need to lay it on the line and explore our abilities and just not be afraid of failing.

There’s an importance of keeping an open mind. The brain is programmed to protect us, and that can mean imposing limits on what it thinks we can or should do. Constantly push at those limits, because the brain can be way too cautious.

It’s not records I chase, it’s self-improvement. And that cannot be done by taking it easy.

Hard work and an open mind – it’s the only way to realize the potential that is inside every one of us.

Pick your battles, and accept yourself for who you are.