I don’t know why I run so fast. I just run.

Meaning of the quote

Sometimes, we don't need to know the reason behind everything we do. Wilma Rudolph, a talented American athlete, simply ran because she loved it, not because she had a specific explanation. She didn't overthink it; she just focused on doing what she was passionate about. Sometimes, the best way to approach life is to simply do what feels natural and enjoyable, without overthinking the details.

About Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph overcame childhood polio to become a world-record-holding Olympic champion. She won three gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics, making her the first American woman to achieve this feat. Rudolph’s success helped elevate women’s track and field and made her an international star and role model.

More about the author

More quotes from 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.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

I don’t know why I run so fast. I just run.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

The triumph can’t be had without the struggle.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

The feeling of accomplishment welled up inside of me, three Olympic gold medals. I knew that was something nobody could ever take away from me, ever.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

It doesn’t matter what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s all a matter of discipline. I was determined to discover what life held for me beyond the inner-city streets.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

I loved the feeling of freedom in running, the fresh air, the feeling that the only person I’m competing with is me.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

My doctor told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

I believe in me more than anything in this world.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete

Sometimes it takes years to really grasp what has happened to your life.

Wilma Rudolph

African American athlete