110+ Swimming Quotes To Motivate All Water Babies
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Swimming is a tough sport but the love of water and the passion for doing your best is good enough to keep you afloat.
Motivational swimming quotes by famous swimmers like Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Ryan Lochte, and Mark Spitz can cheer you up when needed. From swimming pools quotes to swimmer quotes, sometimes all you need is a bit of motivation.
When you find it hard to move on, swimming quotes can make it easy for you to find the motivation to start your training. Don’t think of turning back on a day when times are hard.
As Diana Nyad said, “Swimming is probably the ultimate of burnout sports.” To stay inspired on the rough road and to make your day better, read some popular, inspirational swimming quotes here.
If swimming and water are your true love we’ve got you back! If you like these quotes for the eager swimmer, look at these Michael Phelps quotes and pool quotes for more!
Motivational Swimming Quotes
Saying "one day" never helps you move ahead! It’s now or never, as these swimming quotes say. Share these motivational swimming quotes with your swim team to motivate the whole team. These motivational sayings are great swimming team quotes to build team spirit.
1. “I do keep moving. But I should start swimming more. Great exercise.”
– Marv Levy.
2. “Never put an age limit on your dreams.”
– Dara Torres.
3. “Swimmers provide much healthier role models for teenagers than the catwalk.”
– Clare Balding.
4. “Swimming isn't everything - winning is.”
- Mark Spitz.
5. “Great things never come from comfort zones.”
– Penny Oleksiak.
6. “The things you learn from sports – setting goals, being part of a team, confidence… it’s about.. accepting challenges...”
– Summer Sanders.
7. “The more you believe in yourself, the faster you’re going to get.”
- Adam Peaty.
8. I’ve swum for my country… I decided this time I was going to swim for myself.”
– Janet Evans.
9. “Winners see what they want to have happened...”
- Grant Hackett.
10. “Nothing is impossible. With so many people saying it couldn’t be done, all it takes is an imagination.”
– Michael Phelps.
11. “A huge part of swimming for me is I love it, and it is so much fun.”
– Missy Franklin.
12. “Tonight was not about winning, it was about focusing on myself and what I was aiming to do. It’s the reason why I was able to swim so well.”
– Libby Lenton.
13. “The water is your friend.”
– Alexandr Popov.
14. “She’s a little person who couldn’t even make a final at a state meet – coming and showing the world... determination you can do anything you want!"
– Dick Caine.
15. “If I have one message to young swimmers about taking care of their bodies, it's definitely - take care of your shoulders.”
-Eric Shanteau.
16. “At the start of each day, I remind myself, my toughest opponent is in the mirror.”
- Ryan Lochte.
17. “It's always great to see young swimmers and their excitement and the joy that they have in the water.”
- Katie Ledecky.
18. “I always tell people, I’m a better swimmer because I’m a mom and a better mom because I’m a swimmer.”
– Amanda Beard.
19. “If you want me to swim fast, you have to let me enjoy my life.”
– Amanda Beard.
20. “Enjoy swimming for swimming’s sake. We have to spend far too much time in the water to not enjoy the process of challenging yourself of moving through the water.”
– Jeff Rouse.
21. “I love sailing and water sports; whether it's water skiing, body boarding or surfing or simply swimming in the ocean.”
- Karolina Kurkova.
22. “Identify your personal limits and then push past them… again, and again.”
- Nicole Haislett.
23. “Believe in yourself, not only in swimming, but in life itself.”
– Debbie Meyer.
24. “I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and put the work and time into it.”
- Michael Phelps.
25. “I try to make the good days great and take something positive from the days I’m not feeling good – work on technique or something like that.”
– Katie Ledecky.
26. “In training, everyone focuses on 90% physical and 10% mental, but in the races it's 90% mental because there’s very little that separates us physically at the elite level.”
– Elka Graham.
27. “The most important lesson I’ve learned from sports is how to be not only a gracious winner, but a good loser as well.”
– Amy Van Dyken.
28. “I’ve just been enjoying the training a bit more… just went out there to have a bit of fun tonight."
– Sophie Edington.
29. “The reason swimming is one of the hardest sports is because you have to be in the pool by yourself every day, making that sacrifice…”
– Chad le Clos.
Swimming Quotes From Famous Swimmers
Use these encouraging swim quotes from popular swimmers to make your dreams happen! These amazing swimming quotes will cheer up anyone who’s having a tough time with their swimming training meet. If you're in need of motivation, we have you covered today and every day.
30. “I try to separate my personal life from swimming.”
– Michael Phelps.
31. “Without goals, training has no direction.”
-Natalie Coughlin.
32. “I just felt like I can try to do something special.”
– Chad Le Clos.
33. “If there is a dream or a goal that you want you have to go for it 100%.”
– Alia Atkinson.
34. “Sometimes we complain, but there is something beautiful about waking up before everyone to get better at what we love.”
- Missy Franklin.
35. “So many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can’t be done. But all it takes is imagination…dream…plan…”
– Michael Phelps.
36. “I told myself there was no way I was going to let this training go to waste…”
- Katie Hoff.
37. “If you’re scared to lose rather than excited to win, then that’s the wrong way to approach a race.”
– Cate Campbell.
38. “My whole swimming career was about training to beat Michael Phelps in any race I possibly could.”
– Chad le Clos.
39. “There are younger, stronger swimmers… I can’t influence what they do… I know how greedy I am to defend my title.”
– Kirsty Coventry.
40. “It’s what you do with the rough patches that will define the athlete that you’ll become.”
– Dana Vollmer.
41. “It’s not really about counting medals for me. It’s just about getting better every day.”
- Caeleb Dressel.
42. “I was so relaxed in the water, it felt amazing.”
– Pieter van den Hoogenband.
43. “Swimming is normal for me. I’m relaxed. I’m comfortable, and I know my surroundings...”
– Michael Phelps.
44. “I want to test my maximum and see how much I can do. And I want to change the world of swimming.”
– Michael Phelps.
45. “It’s not who’s put up the fastest time in the world that year, or who’s put up the fastest time in the previous four years, but who can get their hand on the wall first today.”
– Nathan Adrian.
46. In Athens I was 17 and I didn’t have any expectations. I was just swimming fast and racing everybody.”
– Laure Manaudou.
47. “It’s unbelievable, I’m swimming so fast.”
– Jade Edmiston.
48. “There's just something about that cold rush that I know I hate and a lot of other swimmers hate.”
– Natalie Coughlin.
49. “I have been visualizing myself every night for the past four years standing on the podium having the gold placed around my neck.”
– Megan Quann.
50. “There is no single way to train… You have to keep thinking, keep doing things.”
– Alexander Dale Oen.
51. “I concentrate on preparing to swim my race and let the other swimmers think about me, not me about them.”
– Amanda Beard.
52. “I told myself there was no way I was going to let this training go to waste. It was my time, and I was ready to go.”
-Katie Hoff.
53. “There are a lot of people that are very talented. But just don’t work at it. It’s a waste of talent if you don’t work at it and improve.”
- Tracy Caulkins.
54. “I knew I had all kinds of work to do and I left no stone unturned. But on the day I actually got to the Olympics, there was this incredible, overwhelming, feeling that someone has to win this race and why not me?”
– Mark Tewksbury.
55. “I’ve learned so much over the last few years, I’ve had ups and downs but I feel more motivated than ever to be the best person and athlete I can be.”
– Penny Oleksiak.
Swimming Quotes For Self-Mantras
If you love to swim and have made up your mind to do the best in times to come, your love for the sport will show you the way. Let these swimmer quotes be your swimming mantra for the day.
56. Have fun, because that’s what life is all about.”
– Ryan Lochte.
57. “Enjoy the journey, enjoy every moment and stop worrying about winning and losing.”
- Matt Biondi.
58. “Perfect preparation prevents poor performance, the five P’s.”
- Sue Rolph.
59. “I concentrate on preparing to swim my race and let the other swimmers think about me, not me about them.”
– Amanda Beard.
60. “A true champion knows how to overcome doubts and manage those doubts and turn them into motivation.”
- Misty Hyman.
61. “Success isn’t final, failure isn’t fatal, it’s courage that counts.”
- Alicia Coutts.
62. “You must stay focused on the end result to achieve your goals.”
- Catherine Pulsifer.
63. “Forever is composed of nows.”
- Emily Dickinson.
64. “When you stay focused and keep a commitment, you create momentum, and momentum creates momentum.”
- Rich Fettke.
65. “… You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
- A.A. Milne.
66. “Focusing is about saying 'No.'”
- Steve Jobs.
67. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
– Goethe.
68. “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”
- Aristotle.
69. “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
— Socrates.
70. “Practice only makes for improvement.”
- Les Brown.
71. “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”
- C.G. Jung.
72. “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.”
- Arthur Ashe.
73. “Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.”
- Anton Chekhov.
Swimming Quotes To Help Focus On Swimming
Focus and practice are two vital things for swimming. Stay encouraged for the day with some punchy swim quotes and motivational quotes here.
74. “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
— Bruce Lee.
75. “Wins and losses come a dime a dozen. But effort, nobody can judge effort. Because effort is between you and you.”
- Ray Lewis.
76. “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice reduces imperfection.”
- Toba Beta.
77. “Stay focused, go after your dreams and keep moving toward your goals.”
— LL Cool J.
78. “To give yourself the best possible chance of playing to your potential, you must prepare for every eventuality…”
- Seve Ballesteros.
79. “Focus on the possibilities for success, not on the potential for failure.”
— Napoleon Hill.
80. “I don’t know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody — somewhere — was practicing more than me.”
- Larry Bird.
81. “… only perfect practice makes perfect.”
- Vince Lombardi.
82. “Practice is the hardest part of learning, and training is the essence of transformation.”
- Ann Voskamp.
Short Inspirational Swimming Quotes
Get your day rolling and keep your optimism high. No one gets success in a day. Focus, training, and learning from the lives of famous swimmers will keep you on the right track.
83. “The water doesn’t know your age.”
– Dara Torres.
84. “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”
- Missy Franklin.
85. “Dreams do come true… never stop believing.”
- Josh Davis.
86. “Practice like you’re not good enough to win. Race like you’re too good to lose.”
- Katie Ledecky.
87. “Success isn’t final, failure isn’t fatal, it’s courage that counts.”
– Alicia Coutts.
88. “Peak performance is meditation in motion.”
– Greg Louganis.
89. “The best swimmers are the ones that almost don't try the most... It's just about relaxing and enjoying it.”
– Cate Campbell.
90. “Swimmers do not get a lot of telly time so you are not dealing with a lot of egos.”
– Helen Skelton.
91. “The body does what the mind prefers.”
– Lenny Krayzelburg.
Swimming Quotes That Relate To Life
Swimming quotes are not just for swimmers. These swimming quotes with deep meanings, apply to everyone’s lives.
92. “This life is like a swimming pool. You dive into the water, but you can't see how deep it is.”
- Dennis Rodman.
93. “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson.
94. “Traveling to swimming meets took me beyond my small-town existence, gave me a hint of the exciting world outside of my own home.”
- Esther Williams.
95. “Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise or encouragement - and we will make the goal.”
- Jerry Fleishman.
96. “You are always racing against the other swimmers, but I always try to just focus on… how I want to swim my races.”
– Katie Ledecky.
97. “I’m trying to do the best I can. I’m not concerned with tomorrow, but with what goes on today.”
– Mark Spitz.
98. “Swimming is one of the hardest sports.”
– Stephanie Rice.
Funny Swimming Quotes
A little humor never hurt anybody! Here are some funny swimming quotes to keep you amused.
99. “Swimming is more than a once-every-four-years sport. My goal is to bring attention to swimming - to give it some personality.”
– Michael Phelps.
100. “It's so hard to express yourself, because swimmers are pretty much paying attention to a black line for hours out of a day.”
-Ryan Lochte.
101. “The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it.”
- Woodrow Wilson.
102. “Water for me is so essential, like swimming."
-Nastassja Kinski.
103. “All good writing is swimming underwater and holding your breath."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald.
104. “While I’m swimming, I sing songs in my mind.”
– Alexandr Popov.
105. “If you want to learn to swim jump into the water. On dry land no frame of mind is ever going to help you.”
- Bruce Lee.
106. “Being happy outside the pool means fast swimming in the pool.”
– Eric Shanteau.
107. “Swimming gave me my start, but my pal Tarzan did the real work. He set me up nicely.”
- Johnny Weissmuller.
108. "Not everyone wins all the time… Winning is the easy part, losing is really tough.”
– Amy Van Dyken.
109. "You don’t have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move.”
– Alexandr Popov.
110. “Well, me don’t swim too tough so me don’t go in the water too deep.”
– Bob Marley.
111. “… even the best people in the world, at whatever they do, they’re still nervous.”
– Leisl Jones.
At Kidadl, we have created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone! If you liked these swimming quotes to help motivate every swimmer, why not take a look at these surfing quotes and water quotes too?
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art
Georgia StoneBachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art
Georgia is an experienced Content Manager with a degree in French and Film Studies from King's College London and Bachelors degree from Université Paris-Sorbonne. Her passion for exploring the world and experiencing different cultures was sparked during her childhood in Switzerland and her year abroad in Paris. In her spare time, Georgia enjoys using London's excellent travel connections to explore further afield.
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