Rulon Gardner Quotes

It would be cool to let people know that it doesn't matter what kind of background you have in your past, that you can still make something out of your life.

I like to think that even if we make some really bad choices and go down some bad paths, we'll eventually emerge from it.

On paper, my history says that my future was not very promising. But through grace, I have the opportunity to prove that where you start is not where you have to end up.

I love, when I feel challenged, to step up to my highest capacity.

I am the perfect example that if you give somebody a chance, especially here in the United States, one can find the way.

Even though I was dealing with all of these health issues, I was still doing well during my season. It wasn't the best season, but it was consistent. And I figured if I could be this consistent when I'm not my best, what happens when I get better, where could I be? So I wanted to see what I would be like on the other side.

The fact that we all have broken pasts is something that I'm very attracted to, along with being able to turn your life around and do good with it.

I will guarantee you that the day you step outside your comfort zone by making success your goal is the day you discover that adversity, risk, and daring will make life sweeter than you ever imagined.

No matter how much you screw up your life, you can fix it.

It's amazing to me that we live in such a wonderful country where anyone can have a problem in life and get up, dust themselves off and start all over again.

I don't know what my limitations are until I reach them. I look for the challenge.

Even when you've made mistakes in life, you can still contribute and pick up the stuff and move on.

Lance Armstrong, the famous cyclist and more importantly, cancer survivor, has said 'if you ever get a second chance for something, you've got to go all the way.'

I'm an example of why people deserve second chances.

I think it's a great thing to have failed in life and then pulled yourself up by the boot straps and actually done something, because then you appreciate it more.

Sports teaches you there is always a second innings in life. If you fail today, there's a second innings maybe two days later. Maybe there's another opportunity coming up three or six months later. If you look at mistake as learnings and commit never to make a same mistake again, then you actually get better with every mistake that you make.

I didn't even graduate from high school. I've never told anybody that before. I got my degree later, when I was in the army.

I had to overcome challenge after challenge in order to take my life from nothing to living my dreams.

The '80s made up for all the abuse I took during the '70s. I outlived all my critics. By the time I retired, everybody saw me as a venerable institution. Things do change.

It's not what you achieve, it's what you overcome. That's what defines your career.

The mere fact that so many continue to rise, year after year, out of just such conditions as you may think are fatal to your advancement, ought to convince you that you also can conquer your environment.

Governments must give to all those who have hit life's hurdles the chance to rebuild and have a future.

After my spectacular failures, I could not be satisfied with an ordinary success.

When I was in the 9th grade I was flunking out of high school. And that's why I'm so encouraged by the fact that America is the place where opportunity and American exceptionalism is alive and well.

I'm glad I've had to struggle. It's made me the artist I am now.