The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals.
Meaning
Owens, who won four golds in Berlin in 1936, said in his memoir that the struggles that shape a person happen away from podiums. Quiet fights with doubt, prejudice and fear matter most. Treat your own private battles, like showing up to train tired, as the real contest.
Source: Blackthink: My Life as Black Man and White Man (1970)
About the author
Jesse Owens (1913-1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He is remembered as one of the greatest sprinters and long jumpers in history.
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