Carmelita Jeter

"So much talk was, “Women can’t break records.” That was so annoying; to hear over and over what women couldn’t do. Then to go out and break the record — not just break it, but absolutely demolish it. It felt really good on a woman’s side, to show that women could break records."

"But once we get on the track, it’s business. It’s my career; this is what I do, what I love. And it’s my job."

"You have to bring your best, because that brings out the best in everyone."

"And I want to make it perfectly clear that I’ll never run away from a race. I’m always willing to race. The training can be difficult, especially to know that it’s okay to rest. But I’m a competitor and I want to race anybody, anytime, anywhere."

"Sometimes I don’t think people realize that athletes are human, too. Yes, we’re paid to be ready to race, but we’re still human."

"Every year, things just get harder and you have to train to win, to be the best."

"Sprinting is my life as well as my career. It’s what I breathe, eat and sleep."