Life

I paint flowers so they will not die.

Very early, I knew that the only object in life was to grow.

The loneliest thing about illness is that it is simultaneously the most universal.

Glory is a weighty mistress.

All work is an act of worship, if you view it as such.

Literature is not a luxury. It's a necessity.

You can't take it with you, but you can have a hell of a time putting off the departure.

Middle age is when your old classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald they don't recognize you.

I was just the average schoolgirl in South Africa.

There's winning and there's losing, and in life both will happen. What is never acceptable is quitting.

Life is so important when you are young. It is up to you to manage it and educate yourself.

I don't like boxing. I couldn't bring myself to watch myself box. It is not a sport I love. Boxing is a job for me.

It's all about the journey, not the outcome.

If you want to be self-reliant in life, don’t get into the habit of depending on others.

The only good pace is suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die.

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle—when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.

Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It's our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.

I think people are born to excel in certain things. I have always known that swimming was my calling.

Make each day your masterpiece.

The best kids are going to become the best. But the best thing about it is that you're going to learn lessons in playing those sports about winning and losing and teamwork and teammates and arguments and everything else that are going to affect you positively for the rest of your life.