Famous quotes by Jackie Joyner-Kersee:

"Ask any athlete: We all hurt at times. I'm asking my body to go through seven different tasks. To ask it not to ache would be too much."

"Once I leave this earth, I know I've done something that will continue to help others."

"It tells us story and there's a lot more we want to add to the collection like letters from the president."

"I played four years at UCLA but I didn't think (women's) basketball was going anyplace at the time,"

"We want to raise $10 million, and we have $4 million so far, ... We want to open next April."

"In order to meet the challenge, you have to have that support,"

"That goes for whites, too, ... If I made all this money and I want money invested here, I have a right to do that. That is my choice. That is why we live in America, because we have choices."

"don't want to put that capital in there, we can't force them as human beings. We can't do that."

"The medals don't mean anything and the glory doesn't last. It's all about your happiness. The rewards are going to come, but my happiness is just loving the sport and having fun performing."

"It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret"

"I've had asthma my entire life."

"There are few restrictions on your life with asthma, as long as you take care of yourself."

"What people need to know is that asthma isn't a minor 'wheeze-disease.' It kills over five thousand people in America every year, and I could've been one of them."

"Quality training is what I do now; before it was a combination of both quality and quantity. Now I'm not trying to be a world-class athlete, I don't need to train at that level. It's about being fit, fit for life."

"I love track and field, but I also know the day will come when I will have to do something else."

"My passion for giving is no different than yours. I give because it's in my heart to give. I give because I was taught to give at a very early age. This is how I developed my passion for giving."

"I don't think being an athlete is unfeminine. I think of it as a kind of grace."

"I'm not shy. I'm modest, but I'm very outgoing."

"I have this burning desire to get out there and do my best. It's as if I'm keeping it all in a little bottle, and it's all going to come out when I do the best I'm capable of doing."

"People assume that because I'm a great athlete, I can dance. But no. My rhythm is off a little bit."