Quotes by Debbie Meyer

Believe in yourself, not only in swimming, but in life itself. You always have to have fun. You have to have an open mind. If you're not enjoying it, don't do it. Life's too short.

Girls are able to reach their potential now. Once they are out of the sport, they can still continue in the business world of sports. The whole role of the female is changing. Times do change, but we still have to work through adversity and learn to live with the decisions we make.

I hope I give girls an opportunity to realize that they can swim and go to school at the same time. It's not to be given up once they get out of high school. They can continue doing it for the rest of their lives.

I knew all these people had the same goals I did, but the one that worked the hardest would come out on top. That's what drove me all the time. But I had fun. I did better every day, and that's what made it fun.

I knew what my times were and how my practices were progressing and how close I was to the goals I had set for the year. I swam hard. I always swam hard. If I didn't, I knew I would pay for it either the next day or the next meet.

It was a real experience, not just, 'I'm going to the Olympics,' but it was a life skill, an eye-opener to the real world situation. I was 16, gone from my parents for two months, living by myself in a hotel. I was in charge of how much I ate, how much sleep I got. You grow up extremely fast. You know how to set goals for yourself, and how to work toward those goals. You know time management and how to work through adversity.

On Wednesday night they had races and anybody could sign up. I saw some kids racing and asked if I could do that.

They didn't have college scholarships for women. Had they done that at the time, I may have stayed on for another two Olympics, but the opportunities were not available to women that they have today.