Gymnastics quotes can teach you what goes through the minds of some of the best gymnasts in the world.
We’ve got you covered, from Nadia Comaneci, Shawn Johnson, and Aly Raisman to Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles. Learn about their experiences training, competing in the Summer Olympics, and their inspirations.
Find a gymnastic quote that will make you flip!
The Best Gymnastics Quotes
1.) Hard work is always hard work for young gymnasts and old gymnasts. Whoever can handle this will be a champion.
Svetlana Boguinskaya
2.) Set your goals, follow your dreams, listen to your heart, and don’t let anything stand in your way.
Brandy Johnson
3.) I had a couple of friends from all the different cliques in school, but my true friends were my gymnastics teammates. I grew up competing with them for ten years.
Nicole Anderson
Gymnast Quotes
4.) Competing in gymnastics is the greatest reminder of being alive as a human being.
Raj Bhavsar
5.) If there has not been such a thing as gymnastics, I would have had to invent it because I feel at one with the sport.
Olga Korbut
6.) Because up to sixteen years old you feel gymnastics more. You can show your emotion, grace, like woman gymnastics, not kid’s gymnastics. I feel I have good shape, and I can do it elements everything, but it’s not competition for me.
Olga Korbut
7.) Even if kids don’t love gymnastics, if they start at any age with some classes, they can learn so many different things – they can build a lot of character, strength, flexibility, and courage. Hopefully, they can also develop a sense of fearlessness.
Nastia Liukin
8.) I don’t think I’ve ever not gotten nervous. When you work so hard for one special day or routine, you want to perform it better than you ever have. We always say at our gym, if you lose the nerves, you lose the sport.
Shawn Johnson
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Good Gymnastic Quotes
9.) Talent alone is not enough. I believe that a really good gymnast is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.
Vladislav Rastorotsky
10.) As much time as you put into it, that’s what your achievements are going to be when you come out of it.
Mary Lou Retton
11.) Each one of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.
Mary Lou Retton
12.) I give all the glory to God. The glory goes up to him, and the blessings fall down on me.
Gabby Douglas
Gymnastic Sayings
13.) Wake up every day knowing that today is a new day and only you can determine the outcome of that day. So dream big, accept the challenge, and never look back.
Alicia Sacramone
14.) It’s important to push yourself further than you think you can go each and every day — as that is what separates the good from the great.
Kerri Strugg
Insider’s Tip: Use a gymnastics quote on our Certificates – Click visual below
Famous Quotes for Gymnasts
15.) It’s definitely a necessity to make split-second decisions when you’re doing gymnastics because things don’t always go perfect.
Jacob Dalton
16.) The majority of people who get into the sport of gymnastics do not go to the Olympics or get a Division 1 scholarship, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t get something positive from the sport.
Dominique Dawes
17.) Standing on the podium at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and receiving a gold medal was the crowning jewel in a successful gymnastics career and, most certainly, the confirmation that my parents’ sacrifices were not in vain.
Dominique Moceanu
18.) What’s endlessly complicated in thinking about women’s gymnastics is the way that vulnerability and power are threaded through the sport.
Meghan O’Rourke
19.) My entire adolescence was geared toward one thing: gymnastics.
Kerri Strug
Simone Biles Quotes on Gymnastics
Note: At the Rio 2016 Olympics, Simone captured the world’s interest with her outstanding overall performance. She was famous in gymnastics circles before then, but the Rio Olympics was a launching pad to the world as a whole.
20.) I think what sets me apart is how bubbly (I am) and how much joy I find in it because it really does come all from inside whenever I go out there on the floor. Everyone is so serious out there, and then I’m like, ‘Hey guys!’ That’s how I have fun doing what I do, and it’s how it works best for me and how I get my success out there.
21.) I was missing out on public school and going to the football games, prom or homecomings, but I’ve been to three World Championships, so I think it’s like a win-win.
22.) The girls did their jobs. We went out there and had fun with it. It comes from all the practices we’ve done. We’re so prepared for this. We came into it mentally stronger. We were like, ‘OK, we’re actually really prepared for this, maybe even over-prepared, so let’s go and have some fun.’ I think that’s what we all did.
23.) Mentally, I have to get my body and mind in the right place before I start the routine, but once into the zone, it’s like I turn on a switch. I envision myself doing the same thing for the Olympic Games.
24.) I was pretty disappointed in how I did (at Worlds in 2015) Glasgow because I knew I could do better. Even though I came out on top with the gold, it just didn’t feel good because, for me, I did bad.
Floor routine of Simone Biles — Inspirational Gymnastics Video
Best Simone Biles Sayings
A collection of gymnastic quotes isn’t complete without the insights of the best gymnast that ever lived, Simone Biles.
25.) I just try to find the good in everything and try to have a positive outlook on (competitions), so that we all have a good time and a fun time and we compete to the best of our ability.
26.) You just kind of feel everything like all your hard work put into that one moment, and especially with the team, you all get to share that memory together and remember forever.
27.) I’m very fortunate to have a coach that I got to stay with all this time. Every year the bond gets stronger and better, and we understand each other more. And it’s like she can tell if I walk into the gym what kind of mood I’m in, what she has to fix for the practice I need, or how I’m feeling. So it’s really nice to have someone that can just like read me just right off the bat when I walk in the gym. (On her coach.)
28.) It was a learning process together. So I think that’s what helped us both because we were kind of both clueless about it. So we were just learning together.
Simone Biles, on her coach.
29.) She always told me that although I am small, that doesn’t limit my power or define me. For me, I don’t think about size — I focus more on being powerful and confident.
Simone Biles, on her mother
Quotes about Simone Biles
30.) She makes me so glad I retired! She literally throws my hardest skills, that I kind of paved a new way in gymnastics for, as her easiest pass. It’s really humbling. I literally watch her, and I’m just in awe.
Shawn Johnson, on Simone Biles
31.) Nadia, back at the time, was considered absolute perfection. Then Mary Lou, at her time, was considered the wonder child of gymnastics, and now Simone’s time is coming up considered absolutely the best gymnast in the world.
Bela Karolyi, on Simone Biles
32.) Words that come to mind: powerful, consistent, fun, always smiling. She is just absolutely a joy. And I think what people need to know about Simone is she loves the sport. She’s incredibly talented, but she just has so much fun out there, and it’s absolutely infectious to the audience.
Shannon Miller, on Simone Biles
Consistency
33.) She delivers so consistently. This will probably be her fourth national title, which is just incredible. She is just such a cool, calm, and collected competitor. She may not feel that inside, but what she looks like out there, she takes control. I think that’s a settling feeling going into the Olympics, particularly for the first time. It sets a good tone for the rest of the team.
Shannon Miller, on Simone Biles
34.) She may be the most talented gymnast I’ve ever seen in my life, honestly. And I don’t even think she’s tapped into what she really can do. I think she’s unbeatable.
Mary Lou Retton, on Simone Biles
Check out Katelyn Ohashi’s floor exercise.
Nadia Comaneci Quotes About Gymnastics
35.) Jump off the beam, flip off the bars, follow your dreams, and reach for the stars.
Nadia Comaneci
36.) Hard work has made it easy. That is my secret. That is why I win.
Nadia Comaneci
37.) I know how to smile. I know how to laugh. And, I know how to play. But I know how to do these things only after I have fulfilled my mission.
Nadia Comaneci
38.) I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run towards it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your foot.
Nadia Comaneci
39.) I believe that you should gravitate to people who are doing productive and positive things with their lives.
Bela Karolyi Quotes on Gymnastics
40.) In gymnastics, smaller ones will always be better in many ways. The stress in the head will be the same for all. But the stress on the body and the concussions it must endure will always be easier for the little ones.
41.) The Olympics shows the community what gymnastics is all about.
42.) I know gymnastics. It’s always been a subjective appreciation.
43.) The rest of the world laughed at American gymnastics before I came.
44.) Gymnastics taught me everything – life lessons, responsibility and discipline, and respect.
45.) I don’t think I’ve ever not gotten nervous. When you work so hard for one special day or routine, you want to perform it better than you ever have. We always say at our gym, If you lose the nerves, you lose the sport.
Being Great
46.) Being great at your sport has nothing to do with trophies or awards. It has everything to do with the decision to relentlessly chase more progress every day.
47.) Gymnastics has made me strong. I feel like it broke me down to my lowest point, but at the same time, it has given me the greatest strength anyone could ask for.
48.) When I was 3, my parents put me in gymnastics because I was a bundle of energy, and they just didn’t know what to do with me! They put me in a Tots class, and I just fell in love with it.
49.) Every year, I just kept going back to gymnastics, but I didn’t start out training 10 hours a day. When I turned 10 or 11, I got more serious, and I focused a lot on making it to the elite level, and from there, I just kept going.
50.) I was told early on in my gymnastics training that I was full of energy but not full of talent. So, believe me, hard work and determination can get you where you want to go.
Quotes by Gabby Douglas
51.) You just have to be yourself and go full with confidence and be courageous.
52.) My mom says I’m a fighter, a fierce competitor, and I think I am, too.
53.) Toward the end of the Olympics, you get physically tired and drained. And no matter how much rest you have, your body is tired.
54.) I kind of do think of myself as a superhero and just flying high and doing these crazy flips.
50.) I had to face a lot coming through this journey, a lot of sacrifices, difficulties, challenges, and injuries.
55.) You’ve got to be confident when you’re competing. You’ve got to be a beast.
56.) I’ve learned how to stay humble. I don’t want to get in over my head because when you do that, it takes you off your game.
NOTE: The Douglas quotes attributed to Gabby came before the Rio Olympics.
Gabby Douglas gymnastics quotes
57.) It’s very tough for me to focus. I’m like: ‘Look, something shiny! No, focus. Oh, there goes a butterfly!’
58.) Gospel music always relaxes me and calms my nerves.
59.) The one snack I really love is YoCrunch yogurt. It’s like an apple pie in a cup! You have your apples on the bottom, your yogurt in the middle, and piecrust crumbs on top.
60.) Gold medals are made out of sweat, blood, and tears, and effort in the gym every day.
Shannon Miller: Inspirational Gymnastics Quotes
61.) Go into the sport because you have fun doing it, not because of ‘what ifs’ and dreams of gold medals. That way, no matter what happens, you win
62.) Above all, you have to love what you are doing. You cannot fake passion. If you love it, you can fight through the rough times and enjoy the good times.
63.) Everyone gets scared, and everyone falls. The key is to get right back up and try again.
60.) Go into the sport because you have fun doing it, not because of ‘what ifs’ and dreams of gold medals. That way, no matter what happens, you win.
64.) There is always going to be a reason why you can’t do something; your job is to constantly look for the reasons why you can achieve your dreams.
Aly Raisman Quotes
65.) I just stay focused, and I always think about gymnastics. I am just doing what I always do, working really hard, and pushing myself to the maximum, and keeping myself motivated.
66.) My school friends are really understanding and still want to hang out with me. Ever since I was in sixth grade, I was at the gym every day to work out while my friends were getting their nails done or going to the mall. I used to feel left out, but I don’t anymore.
67.) Especially in the car ride to and from the gym. I find myself spacing out a lot, just visualizing what the Olympics would be like and just having such great role models.
Gymnastic Team Quotes by Aly Raisman
68.) I was always really inspired by watching the older girls competing, just seeing other Olympians do great things, and I just really wanted to be a part of that whole experience. And to be able to represent the USA was always a goal of mine.
69.) If I had tried the Olympics any younger, I wouldn’t have been as prepared as I am right now. But there are definitely a ton of juniors out there, all around the world and in the USA, that if there was no age limit, they could definitely make the Olympic team.
70.) I’m focused now definitely. I absolutely need to show everyone that I’m powerful and strong and can be graceful and artistic, too.
71.) You have to remember that the hard days are what make you stronger. The bad days make you realize what a good day is. If you never had any bad days, you would never have that sense of accomplishment!
Funny Gymnastics Quotes
Here are some humorous gymnastics quotes to hit your funny bone.
72.) It’s very tough for me to focus. I’m like: ‘Look, something shiny! No, focus. Oh, there goes a butterfly!’
Gabby Douglas
73.) I’m really good at gymnastics, and that’s about it.
Amy Adams
74.) Gymnastics: The only sport where you can be proud that you fell from 10 feet in the air.
Unknown
75.) Real athletes don’t wear pants. They wear leotards.
Unknown
76.) You know you’re a gymnast when all the kids you know hang out in bars.
Unknown
77.) When you feel perfect, just look to the judges for a reality check.
Unknown
Gymnastics Quotes About Perseverance
78.) After thorough reflection, I realized that my desire to achieve my goals in this sport outweighed my self-doubt. This perseverance has helped me to be successful not only in gymnastics but in my non-athletic life as well.
Jonathan Horton
79.) You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.
Kyla Ross
80.) Practice like you have never won. Perform like you have never lost.
Kyla Ross
81.) It’s not about winning or losing a competition; it’s about beating the doubt from within yourself and knowing at the end of each day you are one step closer to your goals.
Jonathan Horton
82.) The only risk s not taking the risk. You’ve got to take that step.
Jaycie Phelps
Don’t Give Up
These gymnastics quotes show the importance of dreams and goal setting.
83.) The one day you don’t go into practice and use that day to the fullest is the one day someone is going to beat you.
Blaine Wilson
84.) If you’re following your dreams, you’re doing something you love and that you believe in yourself for.
McKayla Maroney
85.) I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.
Simone Biles
86.) Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.
Dan Gable
Insightful Sayings on Being a Gymnast
87.) After thorough reflection, I realized that my desire to achieve my goals in this sport outweighed my self-doubt. This perseverance has helped me to be successful not only in gymnastics but in my non-athletic life as well.
Jonathan Horton
88.) Working hard becomes a habit, a serious kind of fun. You get self-satisfaction from pushing yourself to the limit, knowing that all the effort is going to pay off.
Mary Lou Retton
89.) Trust in your training, and make it happen.
Peter Vidmar
90.) To be a gymnast, you must have the strength to hold on and the courage to let go.
Madison Kocian
91.) Hard work is always hard work for young gymnasts and old gymnasts. Whoever can handle this will be a champion.
Svetlana Boginskaya
On Success
92.) In Gymnastics, there is no such thing as an overnight success.
Laurie Hernandez
93.) You have to remember that the hard days are what make you stronger. The bad days make you realize what a good day is. If you never had any bad days, you would never have that sense of accomplishment.
Jordyn Wieber
94.) It is a matter of how I train and how I think about my training. I also give a lot of thought to my routines.
Kohei Uchimura
Notable Gymnastics Quotations
These gymnastics quotes speak to the qualities needed to be a top gymnast.
95.) In order to feel alive, we have to accomplish things that we once believed we could not.
Dominique Moceanu
96.) Don’t look at the big picture as the only achievement. Start with setting smart goals and work up to something bigger.
Jordyn Wieber
97.) Gymnastics, for me, gave me a lot of self-pride: that drive to want to be great at something for myself.
Amanda Borden
98.) As a competitor, you have to learn quickly how to deal with pressure.
Mitch Gaylord
99.) The main thing for a gymnast is total concentration while competing. At such moments one has to put everything else behind.
Ludmilla Tourischeva
100.) I don’t think my natural talent is much different to the other gymnasts. It is a matter of how I train and how I think about my training. I also give a lot of thought to my routines.
Kohei Uchimura
Inspiring
101.) Gymnastics, for me, gave me a lot of self price — that drive to want to be great at something for myself.
Amanda Borden
102.) I learned to take those experiences that were difficult in my life and in the adversity that I had overcome to use it for a positive change.
Dominique Moceanu
103.) I am who I am today because of a lot of things I’ve learned in gymnastics.
Katelyn Ohashi
104.) When you are on the podium nobody is asking you if you are 15 or 30 years old. What matters is who can do great gymnastics.
Oksana Chusovitina
105.) Don’t look at the big picture as the only achievement. Start with setting smart goals and work up to something bigger.
Jordyn Wieber
106.) Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead; sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Mary Schmich
107.) Jump off the beam, flip off the bars, follow your dreams and reach for the stars.
Nadia Comaneci
108.) Tough times never last, but tough people do.
Robert Schuller
109.) After a while, if you work on a certain move consistently then it doesn’t seem so risky. The idea is that the move stays dangerous and it looks dangerous to my opponents — but it isn’t to me. That is my secret.
Nadia Comaneci
110.) There will be mistakes and there will be falters. There will be things that are not a part of your plan. See the challenges in your life and accept them and embrace them.
Dominique Dawes
111.) Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.
Tim Notke
By Sarah Johnson
Sarah is a writer and has been a gymnastics fan for over 30 years.
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