Women In Sports

"Like many people who eventually realise at a point in their life that they are gay, you go through challenges, and I did struggle a little bit, if I’m honest."

"These will be really testing times but really interesting times because I think it is going to change everything. Actually, probably, in some small way, everything in football had to change anyway."

"I think it is time for calm heads and clear thinking. I think it is also time for some new influencers in the game, new ideas and more openness. I think it is great that we have Ron and Dave Cormack, who are two really creative thinkers who ask the question: “What does the modern game look like? What will it look like? Where do we fit in that?"

"I am with the Narendra Modi in his Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign and I will work hard and to my full capacity. I will work with the BJP and will help the party in making Bihar a developed state."

"Just like frogs become active in the monsoon, these leaders also become active in the election season. Now, with the Bihar Assembly elections approaching, they are doing a Yatra. But I want to ask, where was Rahul Gandhi in the last five years?"

"I believe that my role as a striker is crucial in contributing to the team’s success. Scoring goals not only boost our chances of winning matches but also motivates and energizes the entire team."

"I am fully aware that scoring goals requires hard work, dedication and seizing opportunities when they arise on the field."

"I am prepared to put in the necessary effort and take advantage of any scoring opportunities that come my way. Whether it is through my positioning, speed or technical skills, I will strive to make a significant impact in front of goal."

"Focus on your dream! Choose your circle! And don’t neglect your school! Just believe in yourself, you don’t need anyone."

"As an individual, I just want to help the team win."

"Some people say a striker does not do much, but if they play as a striker, they’ll know."

"It was a historic moment for South African football when Thembi Kgatlana scored our first goal in the tournament four years ago. It was a proud and memorable moment for the team and the entire nation. Seeing her make such an impact on the world stage inspired me and reminded me of the incredible opportunities that lie ahead in this year’s World Cup."

"It runs in the family as my father used to play football, so I knew I was going to grow up to be a footballer. I was quite lucky with the support I had through my life."

"I started playing with boys in the streets, then a coach saw me to play in a girls’ team. I moved between clubs, until I came to Mameldi Sundowns only this year."

"It’s been long overdue. I’ve been playing football since I can remember and it’s beautiful to see this tournament happening. We thank CAF for taking this step, so now we can deliver and show our talents."

"As a team we want to win, and we believe in ourselves. This will happen by taking each team at a time."

"I think greatness in life is to follow your dream, work hard, fight and never give up till you reach your goal. Then pass your experience and success to others in an attempt to give back to your community."

"My advice to young athletes, not only girls, is to never give up on your dreams and to be committed and determined to it because it is definitely worth the journey. So if you want to succeed and achieve your goal, you have to work hard and accept that you have to be out of your comfort zone because it is not easy."

"At the beginning, no one encouraged, supported or even gave attention to any sports other than football. So after I had overcome all these obstacles to show that there are other sports [in which we] can achieve even better than football, now I think it will be easier for others to pursue this path."

"I am really interested to help young females to achieve what they want to. I try to be as much of a role model as I can because I want to help and inspire other people—not only in sports but whatever goal they have"

"I am a hard worker and passionate young lady that happened to have little talent and would like to pursue my dream of having an Olympic medal for my country. I would like to share my experience with the young athletes back home to give them the hope and will to succeed by pursuing their dream."

"Never give up! Your time will come, and some days will be hard, but the good days will be unforgettable."

"She’s had to compete against and chase swimmers, faster and older than her for her whole career and it’s never fazed her. That’s a major reason why she’s where she is today and why she’s so comfortable punching above her weight",Da Ponte"

"Winning the world championship was a dream of mine since I was a little girl. I trained so hard to achieve that goal and it was definitely the best feeling ever."

"It’s a big step up. The hard work is only starting now, and I love all the new challenges coming my way and I am learning a lot from each challenge."

"I was the youngest player in the league and I didn’t understand what was going on."

"I train together with Tatjana and teammates are very important to me. Your teammates are the ones who push you when you feel like you cannot carry on. The Tuks swim team environment is constantly evolving and getting better but like they say a rising tide lifts all the boats."

"I was not particularly good at everything, I must say. I tried to be good at everything but swimming finally chose me. When I say that swimming chose me I mean that I started doing better in swimming than in the other sports and started loving my time in the pool with all my friends."

"I would give them the advice to never lose the hunger to be better. Every day I wake up wanting to better and to achieve better, but not better than someone else but better than me."

"I would love to be able to show younger women that we as women are so much stronger when we support one another. I believe that swimming should stay in the pool and as soon as the race is over, you celebrate one another no matter the outcome. Women need to stand together."

"It is always lovely to be recognised for what you are doing, but it should never be the sole purpose to do what you are doing. If you are swimming to get recognised, then you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. You should do it for the love of the sport, the love of being active and the experiences that come with it. If you then get recognised for doing something great it is only a bonus and it doesn’t define you."

"To overcome challenges, it is good to reach out to family and friends and I do believe it means having a great bond between you and your coach to always let them know how you are feeling since all kinds of challenges can affect your training."

"Make sure that you challenge yourself to be a whole person, work on yourself not just physically but take care of yourself emotionally, spiritually and mentally. It takes a whole person to succeed. Lastly, build a support system around you that will support you through the highs and the lows since swimming is not an individual sport, you might swim alone but it takes a team to get you faster."

"It is always a great feeling to do well with a lot of your teammates and to have hard work pay off."

"Sometimes, us as athletes, we always strive for the achievements, for example to get better or reach a certain goal, and that sometimes takes away from the purpose and passion of the sport."

"At the end of the day, a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer, so if we maintain that passion, we will ultimately maintain our purpose. The characteristics that our sport teaches us is also so important – the discipline and the perseverance – they create characteristics within you that last a lifetime, long after your swimming career has ended."

"I am very dedicated and motivated to the things that I love, when I put my mind to something I would do anything in my power to achieve it"

"But it was really for them. I swam for everyone that's been there for me and believed with me."

"I was actually very calm and just focused on what I had to do and how I had to execute the race, so I think that was a really good thing – learning how to manage the nerves."

"The world has defied success as medals and records where success is different in my mind. And I think that is why I'm very easy to go back and never be hard on myself in terms of that. I just try and find the next thing to improve a little bit more."

"For me, the emotions were really because it took a village to get me to where I am. I know they would have been proud even if I didn't have a medal"

"I can’t believe what I had achieved. I had a difficult two years in which I did not once get close to swimming a personal best time. So, I had been quite discouraged ever so often. All I wanted to do at the Olympics Games was to swim a personal best time. It is what I wanted out of the whole Tokyo experience"

"I'm excited to in the future tell my kids I used to swim there (Olympics) once. I am just grateful that I can walk away with medals. It is any athlete's dream."

"I hope my story inspires one person, and if that happens I've reached my goal. It's never about trying to inspire millions, it's about inspiring that one person to never disqualify themselves from the race"

"The lane space is obviously crowded, so that could get frustrating on its own."

"Swimming is really just a part of and a season in your life, there’s so much more than swimming."

"But it really pushes you to grow as an individual. It helps you find your strengths amid this group because, at the end of the day, you're the one that's going to race the race by yourself."

"I have this slogan – I wish I could swim with a cap that says Swimming is just what I do; it’s not who I am."

"Achievements fall away but you want to be remembered for who you are, she said from Paris.I hope that I’m remembered for bringing people joy."

"Sometimes there are setbacks, and you just have to sit back and see what needs to be done to ensure you get where you need to be and achieve what you want."