Ian Thorpe

For myself, losing is not coming second. It's getting out of the water knowing you could have done better. For myself, I have won every race I've been in.

I thought I could, and thought I would, swim a lot quicker - much quicker.

The fairytale has turned into a nightmare.

One of the first things I learned about acting was, the only person you compete against is yourself.

If you compare NASA's annual budget to explore the heavens, that one year budget would fund NOAA's budget to explore the oceans for 1,600 years.

I am doomed to an eternity of compulsive work. No set goal achieved satisfies. Success only breeds a new goal. The golden apple devoured has seeds. It is endless.