I started track and field when I was 12 and didn't get to an Olympic Games until I was nearly 23. By any stretch of the imagination that's a very long apprenticeship.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I grew up an athlete. Track and field and dance. In track, I actually went to the Junior Olympics. I've always been very athletic.
I've had some experience in track and field in school, but I did have to train to be able to play Jesse Owens - to be a runner, to be an Olympian.
I didn't train to make the Olympic team until 1968. I simply trained for the moment. I never even imagined I would be an Olympic athlete. It always seemed to evolve.
As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.
When I was a kid. I had traveled the world by the time I was 13 years old because of all the competitions I did for inline skating.
When I was young, all I wanted to do was to compete, have fun and travel.
I never thought about competing in the Olympic Games when I was growing up.
I played sports year around: basketball, soccer, softball and I ran track year around, from the time I was, like, six, seven.
I wanted to be an Olympic swimmer when I was growing up.
I started Little Athletics when I was five years old, but my Olympics dream started when I was 10 years old.