Ashton Eaton

I would say 90 percent of the stuff we do is technical anyway. If you look at a two-hour training day, 12 minutes are probably spent running or gaining fitness.

I had a dream, my dream came true, and my mom was there for me every step of the way. We didn't do this for any other reason. I am so happy she is here to experience this with me. This would not be the same if she were not by my side.

When I see my mom in the stands, it always pushes me to succeed.

The first pet I remember was a cat called Baby. She would sleep with me, and I could call her from anywhere, and she would come running.

In high school, I had a gold 1992 Ford Explorer. It was a gift. I used to have a terrible habit of locking the keys in the car when I used leave the car running to help it start on a cold morning. I think the local locksmith became used to me calling him.

From the age of seven, I basically started practicing my hand-eye and foot coordination, balance, strength, endurance, discipline, and mental toughness three days a week until I was about 15.

Know that even when you want to give up or throw in the towel, in the end it will all be worth the hard work.

I remember growing up, having sports to go to, having recess, those were the things I looked forward to. Yes, I'm an athlete, but I had buddies who weren't, and they looked forward to it, too.

If somebody wants me to do something I've never done, I can do it more easily because of all of the years of sports I've played.

I thought it'd be cool to start my own university, in a way.

My key to dealing with stress is simple: just stay cool and stay focused.

I must refine my training every day to give myself the best opportunity to achieve my dreams during the Olympic Games in Rio.

In our marriage, the success of our athletic dreams comes before everything. 'Hey do you want to watch a movie?' 'No, I have a hard workout tomorrow.'