Derrick Lewis Quotes

Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical fitness and mental prowess.

Competing helps me to polish my shape.

I'm a competitor. Gym work can be tough. But you just try to get through it.

Sport is my passion but I have a way to go.

Athletes are extremists. When they're training, it's laser focus.

I do like athletes as they have amazing self-discipline.

To be the best, you need to spend hours and hours and hours running, hitting the speed bag, lifting weights and focusing on training.

I missed being considered an athlete and having that competitive drive, and missed having something to work for every day. I'd taken two and a half years away from the sport and was out of shape. I wanted to get back to where I was in 2008.

I always said I wanted to be a great athlete, ever since I was an overweight little kid. I just love competing in any kind of athletics.

I am much more wired to be an athlete than anything else. I understand the 'hard work = payoff' equation in sports. I run marathons and I box. And that's my Puerto Rican flag hanging in Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing gym. I gave it to him. My last N.Y.C. marathon time I ran in three hours flat.

I train to be the champion.

I only think of my practice and running as fast as I can.

My training has always been really tough. I've always worked hard. I've always been very committed to my training and focused on my workout.

When I decided to become a bodybuilder, I actually marked down a date. It was Oct. 8, 2002. The rest is pretty much history. It was an amazing feeling to know that I had the potential to become a champion.

When you are training, you are doing what you want to do.

I'm totally dedicated to training no one trains harder than I do.

I suppose the appeal of boxing for me is seeing people do well when they have worked really hard.

Having a belt is cool, but I'm trying to do more in the sport.

Even though running is work for me, I always miss it if I take a break. A lot of people find running relaxing, but I can never switch off from timing and competing against myself.

I am never out there just jogging for the heck of it. I never do that. I start to run with a goal in mind, whether it's a certain time or certain distance or a specific heart-rate goal, and then I am done.

I always wanted to be a professional athlete. I love my life.

I wanted to be a world champion.

I am always training because I love it.

My only real claim to fame is that I was southern England show-jumping champion in 1966. The day after my father died, 'Horse & Hound' magazine tipped me as a future Olympic champion, and I took it seriously. You can only really enjoy something if you take it seriously.

I'm fortunate that my job gives me the motivation to be as fit as possible. I wound up in a profession that requires physical and mental preparation, so I get to prepare like an athlete for everything I do. I'm living the dream, man.