Michael Phelps is the only swimmer who has broken seven world records at one meet. Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya has the fastest marathon time in the world with 2:03:02. The U.S. has won a total of 1,073 gold medals, with 2,684 medals in all.

So, what is the point I’m trying to make? It’s that most people’s, myself included, lives seem to revolve around sports.

Ever since I was young, sports were the main thing I was involved in. Soccer, horseback riding, volleyball, basketball, softball, gymnastics, swimming, cross-country, track and dance were among the sports I’ve played over 16 years.

I know I’m not the only one who seems to go from practice to practice all the time. I’ve never cared about the fact that sometimes I’m so tired and sore that all I want to do is lie down on the couch and do nothing for the next two days.

I’ve never really cared about any of that because sports are my way of life and I love it.

After you make that soccer team or run a faster time, you know that this is the reward you’ve earned for working so hard. It’s amazing to look back and realize how far you’ve come and see how much you’ve accomplished.

For me, I went from alternately walking and jogging every mailbox in my neighborhood, to running five one-mile repeats in around six minutes and being a runner on a state-winning cross country team.

The people I’ve met along the way are equally amazing. I’ve met some of my best friends playing sports and it’s even better to do what you love with the people you love.

One thing I’ve learned through sports is that you should never ever give up, and never quit. Olympians to me are so inspiring because they never gave up, even with injury and every possible setback imaginable. They are also able to perform under an incredible amount of pressure.

So if you are thinking about skipping that next practice or workout, remember why you ever started in the first place. Just think about how that one practice or workout could benefit you in the long run and stick with it. You could find yourself in the Olympics, or playing professionally. We are all destined for greatness if we can only find our perseverance to get through the hardships.