If you're not in it you can't win it. Daley Thompson More Quotes by Daley Thompson More Quotes From Daley Thompson For kids it's natural to be competitive. Daley Thompson naturalkids I'm obsessive. I want to know the answer to how good I am. Most people aren't. Daley Thompson answerswantpeople There are lots of women tennis players, for instance, but because not many of them seem to have much personality, they're interchangeable. You don't have a feeling about them. Daley Thompson tennisplayerpersonality I tend to eat vegetables only when I'm with the kids and the rest of the time, I'm a bit slack. But, I am weight-conscious, so I concentrate on avoiding junk food. Daley Thompson junkvegetableskids I didn't even know what it was when I started. But I was lucky. I found it at 16. Most people don't discover decathlon until they're 21 or 22. Daley Thompson luckyfoundpeople I did not want to be the best black man of the year; I wanted to be the best man of the year. Daley Thompson blackmenyears But if kids take up things like hockey and football they will go back to it. Daley Thompson hockeyfootballkids Athletes these days are too robotic. People like to see performances filled with emotion. In my career I tried to be amusing, to differentiate myself from the other champions. Daley Thompson careersathletepeople I think one of the things about being a good coach is to recognise when you have given all that you can. In fact there should be some sort of unspoken law that says that a coach cannot have anyone for three or four years - if you have not passed on most of the stuff you know in that time, then you are not doing a good job. Daley Thompson jobsyearsthinking Ever since I was a kid, whatever situation I was presented with, I always made the most of it. Daley Thompson situationmadekids When we stage the Olympics it will inspire kids all over the country. A kid in Scotland or Ireland will be encouraged to take up sport. Daley Thompson motivationalsportscountry When you're walking into the stadium, you just say to yourself, 'the 100m is the same anywhere, the shot put is the same weight anywhere.' Daley Thompson stadiumsshotsweight Retiring was hard. I'd spent 15 years doing something I loved, but when you get older everything seems to go. When I started spending too long with the physio and the doctor, I knew it was time to call it a day. But I had no preparation for being retired and I didn't know what to do. Daley Thompson doctorslongyears We crave instant success these days. If you are a really good sprinter and long jumper, you don't want to spend two or three years on a whole new set of events. You're used to doing well and it's difficult to give that up. Daley Thompson twolongyears Even if you've been involved in a World Cup, the Olympics is huge. Only the Games has the power to change communities. Daley Thompson communitygamesworld I was in the doldrums for a while after my athletics career ended in 1992. I spent six to eight hours a day training, for 18 years, and it took a long time to get over the regret that I wasn't competing in major championships any more. All I ever wanted to be was the best. But I find new projects and I keep things in perspective. Daley Thompson eightregretyears There were only ever two black kids at my school. I never considered myself to be 'a black kid'. I was who I was. Which isn't to say things haven't happened to me that wouldn't have happened if I wasn't black. Daley Thompson twokidsschool I am only about winning and getting better. Daley Thompson get-betterwinning In my heart of hearts my motivation would always have been to be the best, and I think that athletics is probably what I was built for. Daley Thompson motivationheartthinking I've still got a small fitness and conditioning business where I travel round the world doing stuff for individuals and corporations, mainly fitness training. Daley Thompson corporationstrainingworld
