“She stole my dreams. I wanted to show her I can survive and now that won't happen”

“The water was tripping over itself, splashing and hypnotizing, and I tried to fix my mind on a chunk of it, like each little ripple was a life that began far away in a high mountain source and had traveled miles pushing forward until it arrived at this spot before my eyes, and now without hesitation that water-life was hurling itself over the cliff. I wanted my body in all that swiftness; I wanted to feel the slip and pull of the currents and be dashed and pummeled on the rocks below . . .”

“As a Jew, I had no desire to challenge my childhood prejudice. But as a teacher, I could not do otherwise.”

“I've wanted to win at everything, every day, since I was a kid. And time doesn't change a person, it just helps you get a handle on who you are. Even at age 41, I still hate losing--I'm just more gracious about it. I'm also aware that setbacks have an upside; they fuel new dreams.”

“Beautiful. Belle is French for beautiful.”“Oh dear.” She could never live up to her name. The thought made her want to cry. “Please, sir.”“But you are beautiful. It mystifies me that you don’t seem to believe that fact.”“My mirror tells me otherwise every day of my life.”“Then accept that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and my eyes tell me you are beautiful.”

“Michael wasn't on the pool deck, which was hard for me. None of my old Coral Springs teammates were around. Still, that old plane of cement felt like home. I folded my clothes and put them on the bench. I placed my water bottle under my starting block, and I dove in. Once again, I felt that ultimate state of transition, my feet no longer on the ground, my hands not yet in the water.”

“I'd proven to the world that maturity, experience, dedication, and ingenuity can make up for a little senescence. Muscle tightening is not the only thing that happens to our bodies over time. We gain knowledge, focus, and understanding, and those things can help us win.”