Paula Radcliffe

“The Olympics is a special event. For me, it was always the pinnacle.”

“You have to have a certain single-mindedness if you want to reach the top. I think I've had that.”

“The feeling of accomplishment is worth all the pain.”

“You can't be a slave to the training. You have to be smart about it.”

“The body is an amazing machine, and it's capable of more than we think.”

“I love the feeling of being fit. It's the best feeling in the world.”

“I'd rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.”

“The great thing about the marathon is that it's a personal challenge. You're competing against yourself.”

“For an athlete, the biggest pressure comes from within. You know what you want to do and what you're capable of.”

“The marathon is a charismatic event. It has everything. It has drama. It has competition. It has camaraderie. It has heroism. Every jogger can't dream of competing in the Tour de France, but they can dream of finishing a marathon.”

“My biggest fear is not living my life to its fullest.”

“I don't think you can ever be a perfect athlete. You're always learning.”

“It's not about being the best. It's about being better than you were yesterday.”

“It is about the journey, not the destination.”

“You learn more from your failures than your successes.”

“There's always a point where you're going to be in a bit of a lull. You've got to work through it.”

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.”

“You have to be prepared to hurt, and you have to be prepared to push yourself.”

“Cross-country is the purest form of running.”