It was 1972 in Munich. A relatively unknown swimmer was poised at the edge of the pool awaiting the firing of the starting gun. It was his first time in the Olympics and he had made it to the finals. The gun sounded and he dived into the pool and swam with all his strength. Moments later he had won the gold medal and set a new world record at the same time. The next day he swam again, and again won another gold medal and, amazingly, he again won it in world record time. He swam seven races in Munich, won seven gold medals and, incredibly, established seven new world records. It was one of the greatest feats in Olympic history. The entire world suddenly knew the name of Mark Spitz.

But behind the glory was a dedication to training that had seen Mark swimming and lifting weights hour after hour, day after day, year after year, in preparation for the 1972 Olympics. His winning was not luck or chance but the end result of all the work he had put into his sport. He had the heart of a champion, and the dedication of one who knows what he wants and what he has to do to achieve it. Mark Spitz has said: “We all live to win, but how many people love to train?”

Source: John Kehoe, Mind Power, 1997, Canada, British Columbia: Zoetic Inc. Publishers, p.143-144