Mary Lou Retton

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Many medal winners dream of competing in a sport other than the one they're famous for.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Famous
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Companies that support sports developmental programs in our communities should also be applauded.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Sports
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As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the most of the talents we've been given.
- Mary Lou Retton
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Fragile egos are put on the line every day.
- Mary Lou Retton
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For athletes, the Olympics are the ultimate test of their worth.
- Mary Lou Retton
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As a kid, I was a pretty good little sprinter.
- Mary Lou Retton
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You give up your childhood. You miss proms and games and high-school events, and people say it's awful... I say it was a good trade. You miss something but I think I gained more than I lost.
- Mary Lou Retton
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Be cocky. Walk into the Georgia Dome like you own it.
- Mary Lou Retton
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I usually don't mind giving autographs, but when hundreds of folks with paper and pen start coming at you, it's time to seek shelter.
- Mary Lou Retton
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That's because the International Olympic Committee has a policy of never replacing medals.
- Mary Lou Retton
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For six years, I kept my five Olympic medals wrapped in a plastic bread bag beneath my bed.
- Mary Lou Retton
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Many athletes competing in Atlanta wouldn't be here if it weren't for corporate support.
- Mary Lou Retton
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Former Olympians also get paid to make appearances. Many of them won their medals in an era when Olympic success didn't go hand-in-hand with financial success.
- Mary Lou Retton
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Pay-per-view would deprive many kids of the delight of seeing the Olympics.
- Mary Lou Retton
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The endorsement game has been very good to me.
- Mary Lou Retton
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In the dressing room, I always put on my right shoe first. Same thing for my right wristband.
- Mary Lou Retton
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If I had a bad performance in a particular leotard, I threw it in the trash.
- Mary Lou Retton
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Having a home away from the media glare is important to world-class athletes.
- Mary Lou Retton
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In L.A., we had a game room with a new sensation called Pac-Man.
- Mary Lou Retton
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Getting to know athletes from all over the planet is a big part of the Olympic experience.
- Mary Lou Retton
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It's going to be really weird when I'm 80 years old, in a walker, and people are still calling me America's sweetheart. We need a new one.
- Mary Lou Retton
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Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Inspirational
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Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It's our goal in life to find it and keep it.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Motivational
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Working hard becomes a habit, a serious kind of fun. You get self-satisfaction from pushing your self to the limit, knowing that all the effort is going to pay off.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Inspirational
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Rather then focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge over the obstacle.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Motivational
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A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Inspirational
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Erase the word "failure" from your vocabulary. No case is ever truly closed, and no challenge is ever over.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Failure
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Even though it may seem counterintuitive, a comfort zone is a dangerous place to be.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Comfort
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You've got to believe in yourself first. Take risks and don't be afraid to fall.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Believe
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Working hard becomes a habit, a serious kind of fun.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Fun
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I'm very determined and stubborn. There's a desire in me that makes me want to do more and more, and to do it right. Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Heart
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Friendship is a living thing that lasts only as it is nourished with kindness, sympathy, and understanding.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Friendship
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Faith is a gateway to happiness that remains permanently accessible to each of us, wherever we are, no matter our circumstances.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Faith
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As much time as you put into it, that's what your achievements are going to be when you come out of it.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Gymnastics
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There are so many negatives in our society. To be on the cover of a magazine these days, you have to have been through drug rehab three times. What message is this giving to young people? But there are positives in our society. And I try to surround myself with good-natured, positive people.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Motivational
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Children possess a remarkable amount of passion. They throw themselves completely, heart and soul, into everything.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Children
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What is the fire that burns in your heart? If you are lucky enough to discover it, than by all means fan the flames and let the fire be the guiding light for a life worth living.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Heart
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Training for the Olympics was much easier than balancing my life now! When practice was over, there was time for me. But with four kids and a career, I have no downtime. When I'm not on the road, I finish my workday at 2:30 p.m. Then I pick the kids up from school and they get 100 percent Mommy, not part Mommy and part Mary Lou Retton.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: School
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I like added pressure. It makes me work harder.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Hard Work
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There can be distractions, but if you're isolated from the heart of the Games, the Olympics become just another competition.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Heart
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More than 10,000 athletes came to Atlanta seeking Olympic medals. Only a few of them will be lucky and skilled enough to claim one.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Athlete
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I cant justify taking money away from hungry kids and needy schools to pay for the Games when corporations are willing to write the checks.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Writing
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I love her attitude, but as much as I'd like to bring my medals to a speech or appearance, I never do.
- Mary Lou Retton
Collection: Attitude