40 Best Female Athlete Quotes of All Time

Every year there are athletes that move up the ranks of inspiring female athletes. Each time there is a new Olympics or a marathon trials, I start looking for more female athlete quotes. I think it’s important for women to see other women pushing boundaries and achieving great things.

People often lament that there aren’t enough strong female role models.

I don’t think that’s true.

They likely aren’t getting as much attention, the same PR opportunities and of course if they pose shirtless it’s a national crisis compared to the annual firefighter calendar.

But that’s changing.

Now we’re promoting #strongnotskinny -the love your body message is growing and more women than men are now finishing races. We’re learning to love our strength and find confidence in testing our limits.

And so, I hope in this list of female athlete quotes, you find something that lights a little fire in you today.

Inspiring Female Athletes

These women have faced obstacles and continued to move forward. They’ve succeed in areas that previously weren’t “meant for women”. Their strength is a constant reminder not to underestimate ourselves.

Who is the most famous female athlete?

I think this is debatable! For many marathon runners, the first name to come to mind is Katherine Switzer.

But Mia Hamm was one of the first female soccer players to truly cross over in to mainstream culture after the boom of social media….then there’s Jackie Joyner-Kersee and her plethora of medals.

And now we have Mikaela Shiffrin breaking records all over the place.

In the end, I’m less concerned about who is the G.O.A.T. and more about the fact that we have so many incredible female athletes paving the way for more women. Understanding that we can absolutely keep pushing boundaries and achieving more WITH our bodies, not in spite of them.

I’d love to hear about the female athletes who inspire you.

But in case you’re searching for one…I’d like to share a few of mine who you may or may not know. As I started creating this list, I realized it could drag on for days, so I had to narrow it down!

Female Runner Quotes

It’s no surprise my inspiring female athletes list is going to start with runners, right?

What can I say, I find their determination, dedication and love of this sport phenomenal.

Katherine Switzer

Life is for participating, not for spectating.

Joan Benoit Samuelson, first women’s Olympic marathon winner

Every time I fail, I assume I will be a stronger person for it. I keep on running figuratively and literally, despite a limp that gets more noticeable with each passing season, because for me there has always been a place to go and a terrible urgency to get there.

Deeana Kastor

As athletes, we have ups and downs. Unfortunately, you can’t pick the days they come on.A bronze medal winner in the 2004 Olympics and record holder in many distances, Kastor could have hung up her shoes after a stress fracture. Instead, she focused on smart recovery and then blasted a new Half Marathon masters record.

Read more about her choices in running and happiness>>

Molly Seidel

You just have to keep going and at some point you have to not think about how far you have to go, you have to not think about the fact that it’s probably going to get faster. I just have to keep moving forward. Left foot, right foot.

Molly Huddle

I’ve gained a lot of perspective over the last few years and I’ve realized that pressure is a privilege which comes with the territory as you succeed further.

Natasha Hastings

You’ll never know what you’re capable of until you take that first step and just go for it.I envision my legs simply flying off my body moving at her 400m speeds, which is part of what makes watching her fluid, intense and yet joyful running so much fun.

Natasha has taken the track my storm showing up in full glam and rocking a style that she says helps her perform better because she feels good.

It’s a great reminder that you can wear your make up, fix your hair or NOT do any of that, it’s up to you, don’t let anyone define you.

Great interview on style and changing with age

Aliphine Tuliamuk

Our best days are ahead of us. Stay positively optimistic and work your butt off.

Paula Radcliffe

An Olympic medal won’t define my whole life, although it might look like it to onlookers.

Emma Cobourn

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To think only the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best.

Desire Linden

Stepping outside the comfort zone is the price I pay to find out how good I can be. If I planned on backing off every time running got difficult I would hang up my shoes and take up knitting

Kara Goucher

Don’t try to rush progress. Remember — a step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. Keep believing.

Shalane Flannagan

If you have the courage to fail, then you have the courage to succeed

Wilma Rudolph

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.After fighting polio as a child and being told she would never walk again, Wilma proved to us all that you shouldn’t listen to everything you’re told.

She became the first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals in track and field during the 1960 summer Olympics.

Learn more about Wilma’s journey

Mina Samuels

Our running shoes have magic in them. The power to transform a bad day into a good day; frustration into speed; self-doubt into confidence; chocolate cake into muscle.

Gabe Grunewald

Being brave, for me, means not giving up on the things that make me feel alive.

Female Athlete Quotes From Those Changing Sports

Many of these women have broken stereotypes and brought attention to their sport.

Jen Welter – first female NFL coach

I’ve thought of all the reasons why I might be the wrong person to do this. ‘You’re too small, you’re too this, you’re too that.’ The truth is if I can change the game, literally, for any of those girls, it’s worth it. Because it’s really not about me. It’s about them and the future of the sport.

Mo’Ne Davis

It does mean a lot to be the first American girl, but more girls should start joining boys’ team. The attention should not just be on one girl; more girls should join boys’ teams so it is a tradition and it won’t be so special.Did you see the TV show Pitch, about the first female pro ball player?

It must have been modeled after this courageous woman, who at 13 rocked a 70MPH fastball helping her become the first girl to be part of a winning team at the Little League World Series in August 2014.

But she’s not just a baseball player, she’s a multi sport athlete whose had to work hard to not be discounted for being a girl.

Bille Jean King

Be bold if you are going to make an error make a doozy.

Bethany Hamilton

Gratitude is a theme in my life. Appreciation is how I was able to quickly shift my mindset after losing my arm. Instead of focusing on what I didn’t like about my body or my limitations, I choose to be grateful for the remarkable body that I have.

Ronda Rousey

I got to bed every night thinking about all the ways that I can succeed.We blame our parents for lots of our emotional issues, but they’re often the source of our strength too. Ronda’s mother, a 7th degree black belt and 1984 World Judo Champion, introduced her to Judo which she says helped to boost her confidence.

That ultimate led to a Judo bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, making her the first American to win an Olympic medal in women’s Judo.

She’s had high’s and low’s in MMA since then, but her honesty and determination remain inspiring.

Read more about her in Rolling Stone >>

Danica Patrick

We don’t do things we aren’t good at by nature. I wouldn’t play basketball because I’m only 5′ 1″. Find what you enjoy – whether it’s racing, flying a helicopter, being a doctor, or stitching clothes together. Once you’ve done that, you have the passion you need.

Mary Lou Retton

Working hard becomes a habit, a serious kind of fun. You get self-satisfaction from pushing your self to the limit, knowing that all the effort is going to pay off.

Quotes from Female Athletes Achieving Extraordinary Things

Sometimes it’s not about a new sport and they aren’t runners, but these women are showing us what it means to be dedicated to a goal.

Lindsey Vonn

I always channeled what I felt emotionally into skiing – my insecurities, my anger, my disappointment. Skiing was always my outlet, and it worked.She started skiing at the age of three and has seemingly never stopped. But her story isn’t about the golds, the repeated Olympics or even that covergirl smile.

Her story is about getting back up every time she fell, especially when many of those falls included broken bones.

Listen to her interview on being strong, not skinny >>

Simone Biles

I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.

Mikaela Shiffrin

Things you don’t expect come up, and you have to adapt. You can’t let it throw you off. You have to cope. Those are all really valuable skills, in life and racing.

Misty Copeland

I’ve always approached my career and my life, you know, one day at a time, as if this was the last day that I’m going, because you never know as an athlete and as a dancer. You never know what can happen today, tomorrow.Can you believe in 2017 we’re still seeing new firsts for women? Misty is the first African-American performer to be appointed as a principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre.

What’s most amazing is not just her story, but her commitment to being a role model.

Read her eye opening interview with Obama >>

Serena Williams

The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.

Venus Williams

I’ve learned you can always achieve more than you thought you could. There are moments when I’ve walked off the court, and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how I won that match.’ It was actually impossible, but it happened, and then you realize that you can push yourself much further than you ever thought, and you can make the impossible happen.

Diana Nyad

Isn’t life about determining your own finish line? The journey has always been about reaching your own other shore, no matter what it is, and the dream continues.Every time you think it’s too late to achieve your goals, think of Diana. Reading her book last year was a reminder to me that when you have a vision it may take time, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.

After multiple failed attempts, she became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage in 53-hours.

Read more about her journey and mental toughness >>

Nastia Liukin

You don’t always get stronger on the days that everything comes easily to you.

Mia Hamm

Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them.

Alison Lee

For me, it’s all about balance, figuring out how much you can handle…I’ve learned a lot about time management, how to use my time efficiently, [whether] it’s practicing, studying or getting stuff done. Alison Lee is a Korean American born and raised in Southern California. She was a star golfer even as a junior player, starting the game when she was 6 years old.

Now attending Standford and playing professional golf full time, she’s showing us that we can do it all, but it means making choices like less time on social media.

Maria Sharapova

You can’t control what people say about you and what they think about you. You can’t plan for bad luck. You can only work your hardest and do your best and tell the truth. In the end, it’s the effort that matters. The rest is beyond your control.

Chrissie Wellington

No one should ever be afraid of failing; it’s being afraid to give it your all in trying that I urge against. If there is one thing I have learned, particularly in my life as an athlete, it is that our limits may not be where we think they are. And, even when we think we’ve finally reached them, the next time we go there exploring we often find that they’ve moved again.

Kerry Walsh

That wall is your mind playing tricks on you. You just need to say, ‘One more step, I can do this. I have more in me.’ You’ll be so proud of yourself once you push yourself past your threshold.When a three-time Olympic gold medalist loses in a stunning defeat, she takes a moment to asses the situation and then flashes her winning smile as expresses true gratitude for winning bronze.

Then she heads home and starts planning for how to do it again because she doesn’t believe she’s too old and she’s committed to all the cross training, PT and life balance it takes to make it happen.

Listen to her mindset tips on Rich Roll >>

Gabrielle Reece

If you want to stay fit, surround yourself with a couple of chicks who are fired up, so that the one day you’re not, you can feed off their energy.

She’s long been one of my favorite female athletes. I have so much respect for the way she has played and lived.

Megan Rapinoe

I was made exactly the way I was meant to be made in who I am and my personality and the way I was born.

Candace Parker

Today I know that there is still work to be done, but along the way my I am achieving my dreams.

Lisa Leslie

I’m strong, I’m tough, I still wear my eyeliner.

Seriously, I could keep this post going on and on with more female athlete quotes, but time dictates I step away from the computer to go chase my own dreams.

Looking for more motivation?

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• Must See Running Documentaries

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