Quotes from Mark Spitz

I walked away from the sport for 17 years, then started swimming again recently in a master's program.

I swam my brains out.

I wasn't able to lower my cholesterol so they put me on a statin drug. It is called lipitor. I was able to lower my level in about 30 days from above 300 to below 200.

(American swimmer, 1972 Summer Olympics, on winning seven gold medals Inspirational) I swam my brains out.

If you fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail.

All things being equal, if we could simulate the same scenario, he has a lot more difficult task. He's elected to swim six individual events, as opposed to what I elected to do, which was four.

Life is everchanging, if you cease to change, you cease to live.

If you are relaxing and subconsciously thinking about your coming race, you are going to perform at just about 100 percent efficiency.

I'm trying to do the best I can. I'm not concerned with tomorrow, but with what goes on today.

If you're fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail.

It has nothing to do with swimming. That happens to be my sport. I'm trying to see how far I can go

Swimming isn't everything - winning is.

And if you have high cholesterol, you would feel the same as if you had low cholesterol because there are no side effects, no symptoms of having high cholesterol.

What it is saying is that someone who was a world champion and who takes care of himself with a 17-year rest and applies the proper training techniques and perseverance could be successful.

The only side effect of too much training is that you get into better shape. There is nothing wrong with that.

Past performance speaks a tremendous amount about one's ability and likelihood for success.

Well my thoughts on American swimming are that our prospects look favorable, but we may not have as strong a showing in the gold medal count as in previous Olympics. But I am not coaching

The pool is terrible, but that doesn't have much to do with my record swims. That's all mental attitude.

Life is true to form, records are meant to be broken

In everyday life there is always manana. There is no urgency

I got beat real hard and heavy in the Olympic Games in 1968 by a guy who swam an incredible race one time in his whole life, but he did it right at the right time. I'd like to be that guy now. Maybe that's what I'm going to have to pull out of my hat to make the Olympic team.

I just tried to keep my cool and continue with my race plan: to win.

Yes, I believe that the art of winning is through intimidation, and not necessarily do you have to speak about it.

If he wins seven golds and ties what I did, then it would be like I was the first man on the moon and he became the second. If he wins more than seven, then he becomes the first man on Mars. We'd both be unique.