Clara Hughes Quotations

That's what is most satisfying, is having overcome that pain. Pain that is so intense that when you finish, it feels like you're going to die. That's what I wanted, and that's what I got.

What I have to do now is figure where my passion is, and follow my heart; I've proven that if I have the passion for something then I can succeed. I haven't been listening to my heart in the last little while.

For 20 years I've had the privilege of representing Canada around the globe... first on the bike and then on my blades. The experiences have shaped me into who I am today.

Ive had so many experiences in cycling, but in some ways I have nothing left to prove. I have achieved more than I could have dreamed of, Ive raced a lot longer than I thought I would. I know I can still be better, but I just dont know if I love it enough any more.

I love working with kids and I want to just be able to do it from my heart and not as a job.

I was, without exaggeration, a delinquent teenager.

My goal is to try to avoid a regular job.

With athletes, it's never fully understood the level to which we push ourselves. Especially in an endurance sport.

I've learned what it truly means to be Canadian and in turn I've been inspired to make a difference in the world, however small it's been.

Sport that consumed me for over two decades . . . is now gone. Now it's just me. No pressure, no expectations, no need to be fast, good, strong or to even improve. Yet I can't let go of this idea that I always need to be more than I am. And it is eating me alive.