Wilma Glodean Rudolph was an African-American sprinter who became a world-record-holding Olympic champion and international sports icon in track and field following her successes in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games.
She also was the first American woman to win three track-and-field gold medals in a single Olympics. Profoundly inspirational Wilma Rudolph quotes will get you through anything when the going gets tough and help you succeed in every aspect of life.
Famous Wilma Rudolph Quotes
Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. Wilma Rudolph
I believe in me more than anything in this world. Wilma Rudolph
The triumph can’t be had without the struggle. Wilma Rudolph
Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us. Wilma Rudolph
I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened. Wilma Rudolph
The triumph can’t be had without the struggle. Wilma Rudolph
My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces. Wilma Rudolph
Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle. Wilma Rudolph
My doctor told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother. Wilma Rudolph
It doesn’t matter what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s all a matter of discipline. I was determined to discover what life held for me beyond the inner city streets. Wilma Rudolph
No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you. Wilma Rudolph
I loved the feeling of freedom in running, the fresh air, the feeling that the only person I’m competing with is me. Wilma Rudolph
I believe in myself more than anything in this world. Wilma Rudolph
I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened. Wilma Rudolph
When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome. Wilma Rudolph
No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you. Wilma Rudolph
Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Wilma Rudolph
But when you come from a large, wonderful family, there’s always a way to achieve your goals.
The feeling of accomplishment welled up inside of me, three Olympic gold medals. I knew that was something nobody could ever take away from me, ever. Wilma Rudolph
I don’t know why I run so fast. I just run. Wilma Rudolph
The potential for greatness lives within each of us. Wilma Rudolph
When I was going through my transition of being famous, I tried to ask God why was I here? what was my purpose? Surely, it wasn’t just to win three gold medals. There has to be more to this life than that. Wilma Rudolph
It doesn’t matter what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s all a matter of discipline. Wilma Rudolph
They say things like they don’t want men opening doors for them anymore, and they don’t want men lighting their cigarettes for them anymore. Big deal. Black women have been opening doors for themselves and lighting their own cigarettes for a couple centuries in this country. Black women don’t quibble about things that are not important. Wilma Rudolph
When you come from a large, wonderful family, there’s always a way to achieve your goals. Wilma Rudolph
The triumph cannot be had without the struggle. And I know what struggle is. I have spent a lifetime trying to share what it has meant to be a woman first in the world of sports so that other young women have a chance to reach their dreams. Wilma Rudolph
I can’t’ are two words that have never been in my vocabulary. Wilma Rudolph
I know black women in Tennessee who have worked all their lives, from the time they were twelve years old to the day they died. These women don’t listen to the women’s liberation rhetoric because they know that it’s nothing but a bunch of white women who had certain life styles and who want to change those life styles. Wilma Rudolph
I knew that whatever I set my mind to do. I could do. Wilma Rudolph
What do you do after you are world famous and nineteen or twenty and you have sat with prime ministers, kings, and queens, the Pope? Do you go back home and take a job? What do you do to keep your sanity? You come back to the real world. Wilma Rudolph
Sometimes it takes years to really grasp what has happened to your life. Wilma Rudolph
I would be disappointed if I were remembered as a runner because I feel that my contribution to the youth of America has far exceeded the woman who was the Olympic champion. Wilma Rudolph
I tell them that the most important aspect is to be yourself and have confidence in yourself. Wilma Rudolph
The triumph can’t be had without the struggle. And I know what struggle is. I have spent a lifetime trying to share what it has meant to be a woman first in the world of sports so that other young women have a chance to reach their dreams. Wilma Rudolph
Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle. Wilma Rudolph
I tell them that the most important aspect is to be yourself and have confidence in yourself. Wilma Rudolph
I loved the feeling of freedom in running, the fresh air, the feeling that the only person I’m competing with is me. Wilma Rudolph
My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces. Wilma Rudolph
I have spent a lifetime trying to share what it has meant to be a woman first in the world of sports so that other young women have a chance to reach their dreams. Wilma Rudolph
I’m in my prime. There’s no goal too far, no mountain too high. Wilma Rudolph
I was determined to discover what life held for me beyond the inner city streets. Wilma Rudolph
My life wasn’t like the average person who grew up and decided to enter the world of sports. Wilma Rudolph
The potential for greatness lives within each of us. Wilma Rudolph
Nobody goes undefeated all the time. Wilma Rudolph
I don’t consciously try to be a role model, so I don’t know if I am or not. That’s for other people to decide. Wilma Rudolph
By the time I was 12 I was challenging every boy in our neighborhood at running, jumping, everything. Wilma Rudolph
I had a series of childhood illnesses: scarlet fever pneumonia Polio. I walked with braces until I was at least nine years old. My life wasn’t like the average person who grew up and decided to enter the world of sports. Wilma Rudolph
If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday. Wilma Rudolph
No matter what great things you accomplish, somebody helps you. Wilma Rudolph
I’m in my prime. There’s no goal too far. Wilma Rudolph
I can’t’ are two words that have never been in my vocabulary. I believe in me more than anything in this world. Wilma Rudolph
I tried to ask God, why was I here? What was my purpose? Surely, it wasn’t just to win three gold medals. There has to be more to this life than that.Wilma Rudolph
When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome. Wilma Rudolph
Black women don’t quibble about things that are not important. Wilma Rudolph
Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us. Wilma Rudolph
I thought I’d never get to see that. Florence Griffith Joyner every time she ran, I ran. Wilma Rudolph
I’m in my prime. There’s no goal too far, no mountain too high. Wilma Rudolph
I don’t consciously try to be a role model, so I don’t know if I am or not. That’s for other people to decide. Wilma Rudolph
The potential for greatness lives within each of us. Wilma Rudolph
