Ashton Eaton

“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.”

“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.”

“My mom took me to a taekwondo class, and I fell in love. I was seven years old.”

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

“When I was growing up, I used to watch 'Power Rangers' and 'Ninja Turtles.' It seemed like every movie had someone doing martial arts in it, so I would go around punching and kicking trees.”

“That's what has always been good about track. The goal is very clearly defined: Try to win. Get the gold medal. And I'm able to put my energy toward that.”