Derek Drouin Quotes

I'm supposed to relax and concentrate on the image of myself out there skating my race.

The mental aspect of kicking is the difficult part. Physically, we still have to be in shape and perform on the field, but the thing that separates the ones who make it versus the ones who don't is definitely the mental side.

I can only control what I do when I go compete.

At a track, it's different, there's pressure, things like this, so to be yourself is a bit different.

There's days in training where everything flows and days in training where they don't. You just pray that doesn't happen the night of the fight.

My concentration level blocks out everything. Concentration is why some athletes are better than others. You develop that concentration in training and concentrate in a meet.

Tennis is an individual sport, and I am quite a self-conscious person.

I've probably given myself enough time to prepare for this meet and we're all different athletes so I can't take their results as what's going to be inevitable for me.

I concentrate on preparing to swim my race and let the other swimmers think about me, not me about them.

I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon as I see the targets, I tune them out.

To win Grand Slams you have to be in the right frame of mind, the right physical shape.

You have to go into each match believing you can beat all of the players.

When I got to match point in the final I was afraid I'd be a little nervous, but I just said, You have to stay focused, just think about what you have to do.

My weaknesses are my jumps. The reason is that although I land them in practice, when I actually compete or perform, I should let my body go and stabilize my mind better. Also, I need to work on not letting negative thoughts and emotions get to me on the ice.

I'm scared of failure so much more than any of the other girls I compete against that I work so much harder than they possibly could. I'm totally down with spiders and frogs and heights and snakes - everything; I'm cool with it.

I can't laugh, be happy, present myself at any prize and also win on the centre court.

When I go out on the ice, I just think about my skating. I forget it is a competition.

During my first Olympics in 1980, at the age of 23, I was physically in great condition but mentally too inexperienced to cope comfortably in the pressure cooker of an Olympic year.

It's not who's the best - it's who can take the most pain.

I can't remember ever racing without any pressure.

I actually rid myself of superstitions, but I do a quick 20-minute meditation before games.

When I'm practising on my own, my game feels great, but there's a big difference between practising on your own and playing against people.

When you walk out of your apartment, you think about performing; you do not think about how your opponent looks. So I think the advice from me to everybody is just to go out there and have fun.

When you go out there, and you're in the ring, honestly, half the time you forget what city you're even in because you're so focused on what you're doing and the task at hand.

Every match that I have, I always feel like I'm more nervous than the last one.