Friday Motivation: Inspiring Quotes From Sportswomen We Adore

Get inspired! Work on your strength! Dig up your weaknesses! That’s how sportsmanship works, doesn’t it? But here today we’re talking about the spirit of sportsWOMANship. The champion women in sports never feared discouragement, or limit themselves from achieving what they wanted.

Also Read: ‘Da Da Ding’ and get sporty: Nike tells Indian women

The Real Champion:

"I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I'm the first Simone Biles." – Simone Biles, the gold medalist in the women's individual all-around competition at the Olympic Games 2016.

Simone Biles, gymnast at the Olympics ( Picture Credit: usatoday.com)

Be Different:

“Since I don’t look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good.” – Serena Williams, the winner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles and several Olympic gold medals.

Never Stop Trying:

“Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back… play for her.”– Mia Hamm, award-winning professional soccer player (1987-2004).

(Picture Credit: edition.cnn.com)

You Are Who You Are:

“I’m strong, I’m tough, I still wear my eyeliner.” – Lisa Leslie, an All-Star basketball player, Olympic gold medalist and WNBA league MVP.

(Picture Credit: metropolismanagement.com)

Anything Can Happen:

“I think sports gave me the first place where this awkward girl could feel comfortable in my own skin. I think that’s true for a lot of women—sports gives you a part of your life where you can work at something and you look in the mirror and you like that person.” – Teri McKeever, USA women’s swimming, 2012. She is the first woman to serve as the head coach of a US Olympic swimming team.

(Picture Credit: america.pink)

Stay Focused:

"I always tell myself to 'man up.' Growing up beside my brother <2008 Olympic silver medalist Zach Railey>, I was never allowed to whine. He wouldn't let me then, so I don't let myself now." – Paige Railey, four-time sailing world champion and first-time Olympian.

(Picture Credit: uncharted.sunbrella.com)

Don’t Doubt Yourself:

"I want to tell girls, it's not about make-up and how you look that's important; you are so much more than how you look." – Katie Taylor, World and Olympic boxing Champion.

(Picture Credit: www.aiba.org)

What Girls Are Capable Of:

"It's such a chauvinistic sport, a lot of the owners wanted to kick me off. Everyone else can get stuffed think women aren't good enough." – Michelle Payne, the youngest in the family has followed in the footsteps of seven of her siblings by becoming a professional jockey.

(Picture Credit: www.abc.net.au)

Also Read: How Sports Can Empower Women

Passion Talks

 “Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.” – Bethany Hamilton, a professional surfer who survived a 2003 shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off but she became victorious in surfing.

(Picture Credit: www.emaze.com)

Always Look Ahead

"My brother was an elite special forces guy, so I think, 'If he can do it, I can too.'" – Georgia Gould, professional mountain biker Team Luna CHIX and first-time Olympian.

(Picture Credit: www.orbea.com)

Finally, the one takeaway from this? Unleash your ‘girl power’.

Read More Stories By Ria Das