excellence

"I can say I've had a great run at all of my Olympics. You have to be tough, and if you set a goal for yourself and keep the dream alive, nobody can stop you. It does not mean you have to be No. 1. That's what excellence is. That doesn't always mean you'll get to what other people think is excellent.

That's the gold medal that everybody says has eluded me. Do I think I'm a failure? I'm nowhere near being a failure because what God has blessed me with is endurance and mental strength. And regardless of obstacles I'm faced with, I'm going to conquer them.''

{gayle devers, Athens 2004 Olympian}