Good day, good people! Welcome again to another deposit of the weekly takeaway. During these uncertain times, I would like to instil some motivation in everybody reading this with inspirational quotes by some of the great Olympics gold medallists. 
There are special outstanding characteristics carried by Olympic winners and they are demonstrated in their victories – and most importantly, from the renowned words spoken by them. Here are speech marks to motivate and inspire us, and for us to live by.

“Passion is a huge prerequisite to winning. It makes you willing to jump through hoops, go through all the ups and downs, and everything in between to reach your goal” - Kerri Walsh, beach volleyball player, three-time Olympic gold medallist.
“If you fail to prepare, you’ve prepared to fail” - Mark Spitz, swimmer, nine-time Olympic gold medallist.
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” - Muhammed Ali, boxer, Olympic gold medallist.

“There is no substitute for work. There are no shortcuts. There are no secrets.” - Al Oerter, discus throw, four-time Olympic gold medallist.
“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, track and field,
three-time Olympic gold medallist.
“Failure I can live with. Not trying is what I can’t handle” - Sanya Richards Ross, track and field athlete, four-time Olympic gold medallist.

“We all have dreams, but to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” - Jesse Owens, track and field, four-time Olympic gold medallist.
“The ones who are successful are the ones who really want it. You have to have that inner drive; otherwise, it’s not going to work out.” - Kerri Strug, gymnast, Olympic gold medallist.

“It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you come from, if you have dreams and goals, that’s all that matters.” - Serena Williams, tennis, four-time Olympic gold medallist.
“Don’t practice till you get it right; practice till you can’t get it wrong.” - McKayla Maroney, gymnastics, Olympic gold medallist.

“Worrying gets you nowhere. If you turn up worrying about how you’re going to perform, you’ve already lost. Train hard, turn up, run your best, and the rest will take care of itself.” - Usain Bolt, track
and field, eight-time Olympic gold medallist.
“Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.” - Mary Lou Retton, gymnastics, Olympic gold medallist.

These quotes prove that Olympics is not just a platform for competition but also a platform to learn. Through the Olympics, people see personal excellence, perseverance and commitment put into action.
Olympians teach us about overcoming life’s roadblocks, how to eliminate negatives that creep into our minds, how to focus on priorities, and how to reach our potential. For the youth and everybody else, Olympians are models of inspiration, discipline and character.
*Stefan Ngolo is a sports enthusiast and sports education scholar. He can be reached at ngoloset@gmail.com