I probably have a different mental approach to swimming than most people. I actually enjoy training.

We only have two things that we share in this life; we are born and we die. And what we do in between those times, we've got to be happy. I don't let the outside world deter me.

Make yourself an example, achieve it, but don't hurt anyone on the way up. I don't think I did that.

I've always believed that the desire must come from within, not as a result of being driven by coaches or parents.

The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself.

I don't linger on the fact that Dawn Fraser was a great swimmer 40 years ago. That was in the past. I did break 41 world records, but I don't live on that today.

It's a beautiful thing, diving into the cool crisp water and then just sort of being able to pull your body through the water and the water opening up for you.

I knew that the stronger that I was, the faster I was going to swim, and thats all I had in my mind at the time, was I wanted to be the best swimmer in the world.

If you're good at it, you can win.

I've worked hard all my life.

I can remember crawling through the window where he was in the hospital... He said, 'You have a gift... keep training for me.' I s'pose those were the last words he ever spoke to me.

My biggest fear is forgetting why I fell in love with writing. My biggest dream is never allowing that to happen.

When you prick a person with a needle, red blood comes out- that's the real world.

A tuna can only boast in a pond, but a whale can boast even in the ocean.

The eye-roll is a 10.5 on the Ritcher. The Big One. California has slipped into the ocean.

But I have to add - and this answers your other question - this catholicity in time and in space is only meaningful for me if there is, at the same time, a concentration on the Gospel.

I think soon after I became director of the CIA - President Obama pulled me into the Oval Office and said: 'Look, I just want you to know that your top priority is to go after Osama bin Laden.'

They like my books better in England than in France; a translation would be very successful there.

If you do not value libraries then you do not value information or culture or wisdom. You are silencing the voices of the past and you are damaging the future.

You think it's a blessing to know what God wants? I'll tell you what he wants. He wants to push me over! Can't he see what's inside of me? All my sins.

Well, I can't eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs.