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Sport and health are so important to our nation that they deserve to be right at the front of people's minds.
Daley Thompson -
Ever since I was a kid, whatever situation I was presented with, I always made the most of it.
Daley Thompson
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I was in the doldrums for a while after my athletics career ended in 1992. I spent six to eight hours a day training, for 18 years, and it took a long time to get over the regret that I wasn't competing in major championships any more. All I ever wanted to be was the best. But I find new projects and I keep things in perspective.
Daley Thompson -
When you're walking into the stadium, you just say to yourself, 'the 100m is the same anywhere, the shot put is the same weight anywhere.'
Daley Thompson -
People tend to like an athlete's performance, but if you don't get a feeling for the individual, you're not very emotive about them.
Daley Thompson -
Being a decathlete is like having ten girlfriends. You have to love them all, and you can't afford losing one.
Daley Thompson -
In sport, if you want to be the best you have to compete against the best - I would much rather have come tenth and be judged against everyone than come first and be judged against just a few.
Daley Thompson -
Sometimes you have to resist working on your strengths in favour of your weaknesses. The decathlon requires a wide range of skills.
Daley Thompson
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I didn't even know what it was when I started. But I was lucky. I found it at 16. Most people don't discover decathlon until they're 21 or 22.
Daley Thompson -
It's good to be difficult to know. Too many people are too easy to know.
Daley Thompson -
I am an education ambassador, mainly working with schools.
Daley Thompson -
Most people doing the decathlon these days are quite boring, so people don't relate to them.
Daley Thompson -
We live in the best place on earth but at times the worst.
Daley Thompson -
There are lots of women tennis players, for instance, but because not many of them seem to have much personality, they're interchangeable. You don't have a feeling about them.
Daley Thompson
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What used to drive me was the fact that I wanted to be better than everybody at something. One of my best qualities is that I used whatever other people found to be an adverse thing to be a positive thing for myself.
Daley Thompson -
I'm competitive – that's what defines me – and I love it.
Daley Thompson -
For kids it's natural to be competitive.
Daley Thompson -
I've still got a small fitness and conditioning business where I travel round the world doing stuff for individuals and corporations, mainly fitness training.
Daley Thompson -
Even if you've been involved in a World Cup, the Olympics is huge. Only the Games has the power to change communities.
Daley Thompson -
I'm obsessive. I want to know the answer to how good I am. Most people aren't.
Daley Thompson
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We crave instant success these days. If you are a really good sprinter and long jumper, you don't want to spend two or three years on a whole new set of events. You're used to doing well and it's difficult to give that up.
Daley Thompson -
When I lost my decathlon world record I took it like a man. I only cried for ten hours.
Daley Thompson