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

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.

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

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 life is my testimony.

My Epitaph:THIS is Plan B

There is always going to be evil as long as goodness lives on.

I suffer much less than many of my colleagues. I am perfectly able to go to Australia and film within three hours of arrival.

Keeping a feminine approach is vital - men hate bossy females.

I don't have to live the lives of my characters to write about them. It's about really putting yourself in their shoes.

I had to fight so hard not to cry.

Value gives the artist the means of showing subtle changes in a form's surface-state, and it helps clarify the relative distance between forms.

I wasn't raised to celebrate the misfortune of others.