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I wanted to emulate my parents - Mum captained India in basketball, and Dad won a bronze in hockey in 1972 Olympics. My focus has always been to achieve excellence whether in the field of tennis, in the corporate field, in the art of acting or in motivating youngsters.

— Leander Paes

Sentiment: POSITIVE

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✓Similar Perspectives

As a child, I wanted to be an athlete, a professional tennis player or something like that.

— Jonathan Ames

My father's encouragement is what has brought me this far, because when I grew up I wanted to be like him, and I knew I had that ability to become an athlete. Being an Olympian is one of the greatest things, and being an Olympic gold medallist is one of the most prestigious titles in the world.

— David Rudisha

As a kid, I wanted to be a pro tennis player. I was pretty good; at the tennis academies I attended, I always 'played up' against older age groups.

— Matt Kuchar

As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.

— Marion Jones

My parents wanted me to become a national athlete.

— Joe Taslim

To win a gold medal at Olympic Games has long been my dream ever since I started my career as a table tennis player.

— Ma Long

As a youngster, I enjoyed sport and my ambition was to be a great sportsman.

— Lynn Davies

One day my dad would say, 'OK, if you want to play tennis I can help you out.' And that's how it started. And I had a goal. I wanted to beat my mom first. And my parents and my brother. And that was the ultimate goal.

— Caroline Wozniacki

I was like, 'I don't know if I could be an Olympian...' But my dad really influenced me to stay and be in the Olympics.

— Pat Summitt

✗Opposing Perspectives

When I was about to break a world record and become well known, my mother used to say that for her the important thing was for me to become a doctor - a career which had not been possible in her generation and in her society. Sport was something to be set aside.

— Roger Bannister