Looking for the best and inspirational Jesse Owens quotes?
Jesse Owens was an African American track and field athlete who, during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, demonstrated to the world the superiority of his race. He was born on September 12th, 1913, and died on March 31st, 1980.
He had a talent for running. At a young age, he was already showing signs of what would become his main life skill – running track – even though he didn’t know it yet. His speed and ability to jump over obstacles led him to participate in high school competitions at Ohio State University, where he studied engineering. There he became champion of all American universities in 1934-1935 and 1935-1936.
He also took part in other events such as javelin throwing, broad jumping, high jump, and sprint.
Here are some of his most inspirational quotes about life, dreams, and goals that will motivate you on your journey to reaching your objectives.
23 Inspirational Jesse Owens Quotes
1. “One chance is all you need.” ― Jesse Owens
2. “If you don’t try to win you might as well hold the Olympics in somebody’s back yard.” ― Jesse Owens
3. “It all goes so fast, and character makes the difference when it’s close.” ― Jesse Owens
4. “Find the good. It’s all around you. Find it, showcase it and you’ll start believing in it.” ― Jesse Owens
5. “Running is real. It’s all not and woe, hard as diamond. It makes you weary beyond comprehension, but it also makes you free.” ― Jesse Owens
6. “Only by God’s grace have I made it to see today and only by God’s grace will I ever see tomorrow.” ― Jesse Owens
7. “We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.” ― Jesse Owens
8. “For a time, at least, I was the most famous person in the entire world.” ― Jesse Owens
9. “In the end, it’s extra effort that separates a winner from second place. But winning takes a lot more than that, too. It starts with complete command of the fundamentals. Then it takes desire, determination, discipline, and self-sacrifice. And finally, it takes a great deal of love, fairness and respect for your fellow man. Put all these together, and even if you don’t win, how can you lose?” – Jesse Owens
10. “To me, we must learn to spell the word RESPECT. We must respect the rights and properties of our fellowman. And then learn to play the game of life, as well as the game of athletics, according to the rules of society. If you can take that and put it into practice in the community in which you live, then, to me you have won the greatest championship.” ― Jesse Owens
11. “The road to the Olympics, leads to no city, no country. It goes far beyond New York or Moscow, ancient Greece or Nazi Germany. The road to the Olympics leads — in the end — to the best within us.” ― Jesse Owens
12. “The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself – the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us – that’s where it’s at.” ― Jesse Owens
13. “If you don’t try to win you might as well hold the Olympics in somebody’s back yard. The thrill of competing carries with it the thrill of a gold medal. One wants to win to prove himself the best.” ― Jesse Owens
14. “The people come out to see you perform and you’ve got to give them the best you have within you.” ― Jesse Owens
15. “The only victory that counts is the one over Yourself.” ― Jesse Owens
16. “In America anyone can still become someone.” ― Jesse Owens
17. “The only bond worth anything between human beings is their humanness.” ― Jesse Owens
18. “Life doesn’t give you all the practice races you need.” ― Jesse Owens
19. “I let my feet spend as little time on the ground as possible. From the air, fast down, and from the ground, fast up.” ― Jesse Owens
20. “It all goes so fast, and character makes the difference when it’s close.” ― Jesse Owens
21. “A lifetime of training for just ten seconds.” ― Jesse Owens
22. “I decided I wasn’t going to come down. I was going to fly. I was going to stay up in the air forever.” ― Jesse Owens
23. “Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.” ― Jesse Owens
