--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know what it takes to get to the top." description: "\"I know what it takes to get to the top.\" — Linford Christie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/linford-christie-15056_athlete_i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top-2_212476.jpg" --- # I know what it takes to get to the top. ![“I know what it takes to get to the top.” quote by Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/linford-christie-15056_athlete_i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top-2_212476.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/linford-christie-15056_athlete_i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top-2_212476.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/linford-christie-15056_athlete_i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top-2_212476.jpg) > “I know what it takes to get to the top.” [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He asserts personal knowledge of the effort required to reach elite success. **In simple terms:** Knowing what success demands. Key Takeaway Commit to hard work. Themes success effort knowledge Mood motivational realistic Type sports career When to use this quote - training programs - mentorship - goal planning Key Concepts sports psychology goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What defines “top” for you? - How to balance effort and wellbeing? A Different Perspective Hard work alone may not guarantee success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Takes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-takes-1154449/) [Takes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/takes/) ## Related quotes > [I know it takes more than one album to stay around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-wallen/i-know-it-takes-more-than-one-album-to-stay-around/) [Morgan Wallen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-wallen/) > [I know what it takes to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-woodland/i-know-what-it-takes-to-win/) [Gary Woodland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-woodland/) > [“You need to know, I'd go fifty-nine more. What ever it takes to let you win I'd retreat all over and all over and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/you-need-to-know-i-d-go-fifty-nine-more-what-ever-it-takes-to-let-you/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [I really don't know what it takes to make it to the playoffs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-angelo-russell/i-really-don-t-know-what-it-takes-to-make-it-to-the-playoffs/) [D'Angelo Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-angelo-russell/) > [I know what it takes to put a record together, so I'm not looking for people to come in and shape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-tritt/i-know-what-it-takes-to-put-a-record-together-so-i-m-not-looking-for/) [Travis Tritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-tritt/) > [I know who I am and nobody takes it away me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inara-grashoff/i-know-who-i-am-and-nobody-takes-it-away-me/) [Inara Grashoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inara-grashoff/) > [I know what it takes to put on a good show for the fans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-timberlake/i-know-what-it-takes-to-put-on-a-good-show-for-the-fans/) [Justin Timberlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-timberlake/) > [Ever know someone that takes personal the rain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/funkadelic/ever-know-someone-that-takes-personal-the-rain/) [Funkadelic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/funkadelic/) > [I know what it takes, and you have to fight for yourself and what you believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-rexha/i-know-what-it-takes-and-you-have-to-fight-for-yourself-and-what-you/) [Bebe Rexha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-rexha/) > [I do know that it takes a lot to look in that mirror and fix yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrann-mathieu/i-do-know-that-it-takes-a-lot-to-look-in-that-mirror-and-fix-yourself/) [Tyrann Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrann-mathieu/) > [I know what it takes to run a successful economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/i-know-what-it-takes-to-run-a-successful-economy/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [I know what it takes to make myself perform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-schultz/i-know-what-it-takes-to-make-myself-perform/) [Mike Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-schultz/) > [I know what it takes to win ball games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-damon/i-know-what-it-takes-to-win-ball-games/) [Johnny Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-damon/) > [I know sometimes, that all it takes to be invincible, is to know you are such.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anis-mojgani/i-know-sometimes-that-all-it-takes-to-be-invincible-is-to-know-you/) [Anis Mojgani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anis-mojgani/) > [You really have to know who you are. It takes, uh it's not that easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-behar/you-really-have-to-know-who-you-are-it-takes-uh-it-s-not-that-easy/) [Joy Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-behar/) ## More by Linford Christie > [The Stroke Association has produced leaflets that set out clearly the health risks associated with stroke that African-Caribbean people face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/the-stroke-association-has-produced-leaflets-that-set-out-clearly-the/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [You can always be stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/you-can-always-be-stronger/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [When I was competing, I trained between three and six hours a day, seven days a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/when-i-was-competing-i-trained-between-three-and-six-hours-a-day/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [When you see athletes like me win gold medals, you only see the finished product, you dont see the real effort that the likes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/when-you-see-athletes-like-me-win-gold-medals-you-only-see-the/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [I coach a few guys and they work very, very hard, but in our day we did it because we just loved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/i-coach-a-few-guys-and-they-work-very-very-hard-but-in-our-day-we-did/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [I used to say to my opponents: 'If you let me beat you, I'm going to tell your kids you were beaten by an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/i-used-to-say-to-my-opponents-if-you-let-me-beat-you-i-m-going-to/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [There was no money in the sport but we'd be out there day in, day out, rain or shine, doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/there-was-no-money-in-the-sport-but-we-d-be-out-there-day-in-day-out/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [My first love is the sport, and it will always be my priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/my-first-love-is-the-sport-and-it-will-always-be-my-priority/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [Some of today's athletes do not have that kind of pride. They left school at 16, have never had a job in their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/some-of-today-s-athletes-do-not-have-that-kind-of-pride-they-left/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [Obviously I was disappointed when it fell into disuse, because it was my own track named after me, but I am sure all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/obviously-i-was-disappointed-when-it-fell-into-disuse-because-it-was/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [What motivated me as much as anything was to show the racists that a black man could bring pride and honour to Britain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/what-motivated-me-as-much-as-anything-was-to-show-the-racists-that-a/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [I don't think there are really enough meetings in Britain for our athletes to compete properly, and because of this a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/i-don-t-think-there-are-really-enough-meetings-in-britain-for-our/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [I like to have space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/i-like-to-have-space/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [When I was competing, I cut out red meat but only because I felt it took too long to digest, so I stuck to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/when-i-was-competing-i-cut-out-red-meat-but-only-because-i-felt-it/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [I have got better things to do in working with my athletes who I feel are going to be involved in 2012.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/i-have-got-better-things-to-do-in-working-with-my-athletes-who-i-feel/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) [Explore all 44 Linford Christie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) ## More Athlete quotes > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/) [Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/) [Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know what it takes to get to the top.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Linford Christie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/linford-christie-15056_athlete_i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top-2_212476.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/linford-christie-15056_athlete_i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top-2_212476.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/linford-christie-15056_athlete_i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top-2_212476.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know what it takes to get to the top.” — Linford Christie", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Linford Christie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I know what it takes to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/i-know-what-it-takes-to-get-to-the-top/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```