Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer based out of Victoria, BC. In feeding his passion for swimming, he has developed YourSwimBook, a powerful log book and goal setting guide made specifically for swimmers. Sign up for the YourSwimBook newsletter (free) and get weekly motivational tips by clicking here.
From his Beijing heroics, to his decade of domination of international competition, Phelps has inspired countless swimmers and non-swimmers alike with his feats of athletic prowess. He pushed the limits of what was possible in the sport to heights few thought possible, while also galvanizing a fresh generation of swimmers.
Channel your inner Phelps with these eight motivational swimming quotes from the G.O.A.T. to get your day off on the right foot:
1. “I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.”
Our goals and dreams should stretch, prod and challenge us. They should take us to our limits and beyond, forcing us to reconsider what we consider ourselves capable of.
Doing great things requires going into the unknown, of pushing ourselves and our abilities, and yes, that means there will be moments where we are uncomfortable, where we struggle, and where we are inundated with doubt, insecurities and fear.
Don’t be afraid to set goals that scare you or make you uncomfortable. Those are precisely the ones that change the world.
2. “If you want to be the best, you have to do things other people aren’t willing to do.”
The road most traveled is the road to mediocrity. If you want to achieve the same results as everyone else, simply do what everyone else is doing.
However, if you want to achieve special things with your swimming, you must be willing to step above and beyond what is considered typical or standard.
3. “I want to test my maximum and see how much I can do.”
When things aren’t going great we tend to get lost in the performances of our competition. We start imagining them as bigger than life, that they are more deserving, more talented than we are. Instead of wasting energy and time on what the swimmer in the lane next to you is doing, direct that energy inwards and work on maximizing everything within yourself.
At the end of the day you will never be able to completely control the outcome, or what the competition does. But if you step up on the blocks knowing that you have done everything possible to make the most of your abilities, your swim will be a success whether you come in first or eighth.
4. “I want to be able to look back and say, ‘I’ve done everything I can, and I was successful.’ I don’t want to look back and say I should have done this or that.”
Not giving your full effort over the course of the year gives you a fantastic excuse come championship season: “I could have swum XYZ time if I wanted to, if I had trained hard, but I didn’t feel like it.”
The pain of regret, of the what-if’s, of wondering what may have been had you made a better effort, will always be worse than the strife you will face in the middle of a workout.
5. “I found something I love… And never gave up.”
Our swimming goals, no matter where they land on the scale of greatness, should be utterly and profoundly ours. They should belong to you – not your coach, parents, or friends.
Trying to achieve somebody else’s idea of excellence will leave your motivation flat and engagement short-lived. Once you find that which you are passionate about, lock in on it and continue hammering at it until completion.
6. “Things won’t go perfect. It’s all about how you adapt from those things and learn from mistakes.”
Phelps, despite his superhuman achievements, is human, just like the rest of us. He made mistakes out of the pool, while also falling short on his initial attempt at Spitz’ record at the Athens Games in 2004.
We all stumble at various points in our swimming career. What matters not is what happened or who is to blame. What only matters is what you decide to do next, how you decide to react to the setback or failure. We all take our lumps and bruises, what matters most to your long term swimming success is if you are willing to plod on in spite of it.
7. “So many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can’t be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You plan. You reach.”
You will always encounter negative people both in life and in the pool. Anytime you upset the status quo or challenge someone else’s idea of what is possible you are going to find resistance and negativity.
Perhaps they have limited ambitions of their own. Jealousy. Or you are chasing something they were never able to achieve. Whatever the case, it doesn’t really matter what their motivations are. Until provided with concrete, 100% proof that you are incapable of achieving your goal, act as otherwise.
8. “If you say “can’t” you’re restricting what you can do or ever will do.”
All too often when we are faced with a challenge we fall back into the well-worn position of saying “I can’t.” Those two words are comfortable, familiar, and instantly saps you of any forward momentum.
When faced at a crossroads when you feel the doubt flooding in, stop yourself for a moment and ask if the set, practice, or goal is something you can’t do, or something you don’t want to do.
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hellol
Love phelps
I can apply these quotes to my life by thinking of them when i am trying something new. Every time i set a goal for myself, I can think of these quotes to motivate me. I like quote number 4. I like this quote because I want to be able to look back at my life and feel accomplished. And this quote is also about that.
Does anyone remember exactly what Michael Phelps said in a poolside interview (I think it was a short one after one of the competitions) where he talked about how, as the team captain, he pulled everyone together by saying that they had to end any negativity and that pulled them all together right away??? I’d love the actual quote.
hi again
Hi
It’s the summary of what a life well lived is about-
*to be clear, I respect him as an athlete. I am a terrible athlete.
As an athlete, I have tremendous appreciation for the man. But quite frankly, should ny of these even count as Phelps quotes? They are so generic they could literally have been said by anyone at any time for any endeavor. In fact, I am pretty certain my high school volleyball coach said several of these back in the ’90s.
That isn’t a knock on the guy. I just think these are common mantras for athletes and go-getters. Example: “Above anything else, I hate to lose.” -Jackie Robinson
The Chicago Jackie Robinson West team lost their 2014 Little League title for recruiting outside their locale ie cheating .
In Feb 2015 , Mayor Rahm Emmanuel stepped in & ordered championship rings & presented the kids their new ones . I don’t know enough of Jackie to say this is what he meant .
Yes, Gina, I am sure this is exactly what Jackie meant when he died in 1972. Way to suss out these important historical connections.