Conquering yourself is the greatest challenge of an athlete.
Athletes
Paavo Nurmi
Born in Turku, Finland in 1897, Paavo Nurmi was the 'Flying Finn' who won nine Olympic gold medals and set twenty-two world records, completely dominating middle and long-distance running in the 1920s. A pioneer who practiced scientific pace distribution with a stopwatch in hand, he became a national hero whose achievements helped shape Finland's identity as a newly independent nation.
View this figure's profile
Paavo Nurmi's Other Quotes
All the records I have set, I owe to my watch.
You must listen to your body. Run through annoyance but never through pain.
Mind is everything; muscle, pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind.
The higher the standard of living in a country, the weaker the results often are in the events which call for work and trouble. Do not let this comfortable life make you lazy.