Althea Gibson
Most of us who aspire to be tops in our fields don't really consider the amount of work required to stay tops.Collection: Work
I think I have done enough for sports and made enough of a name for myself to deserve some sort of backing - most of the other girls have it.Collection: Sports
In sports, you simply aren't considered a real champion until you have defended your title successfully. Winning it once can be a fluke; winning it twice proves you are the best.Collection: Best
Being champion is all well and good, but you can't eat a crown.Collection: Good
In the field of sports you are more or less accepted for what you do rather than what you are.Collection: Sports
No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you.
I always wanted to be somebody. If I made it, it's half because I was game enough to take a lot of punishment along the way and half because there were a lot of people who cared enough to help me.
Shaking hands with the Queen of England was a long way from being forced to sit in the colored section of the bus going into downtown Wilmington, North Carolina.
I don't want to be put on a pedestal. I just want to be reasonably successful and live a normal life with all the conveniences to make it so.
The loser is always a part of the problem; the winner is always a part of the answer. The loser always has an excuse; the winner always has a program. The loser says it may be possible, but it's difficult; the winner says it may be difficult, but it's possible.Collection: Answers
I always wanted to be somebody...If I've made it, it's half because I was game to take a wicked amount of punishment along the way, and half because there were an awful lot of people who cared enough to help me.Collection: Happiness
Winning once can be a fluke; winning twice proves you are the best.Collection: Winning
I hope that I have accomplished just one thing: that I have been a credit to tennis and my country.Collection: Country
I was nervous and confident at the same, nervous about going out there in front of all those people, with so much at stake, and confident that I was going to go out there and win.Collection: Motivational
From 143rd Street in Harlem to the center court at Wimbledon is about as far as one can travel.Collection: Leadership
I think I've already got the main thing I've always wanted, which is to be somebody, to have an identify. I'm Althea Gibson, the tennis champion. I hope it makes me happy.Collection: Thinking
I don't consciously beat the drums for any cause, not even the negro in the United States.Collection: United States