--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the going got tough, I really had to…" description: "\"When the going got tough, I really had to draw on many of the same competitive instincts I did when I was skating. I really had to put my head down and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/peggy-fleming-27994_down-and_when-the-going-got-tough-i-really-had-to_1845249.jpg" --- # When the going got tough, I really had to draw on many of… ![“When the going got tough, I really had to draw on many of the same competitive instincts I did when I was skating. I really had to put my head down and stay positive. I had to fight.” quote by Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/peggy-fleming-27994_down-and_when-the-going-got-tough-i-really-had-to_1845249.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/peggy-fleming-27994_down-and_when-the-going-got-tough-i-really-had-to_1845249.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/peggy-fleming-27994_down-and_when-the-going-got-tough-i-really-had-to_1845249.jpg) > “When the going got tough, I really had to draw on many of the same competitive instincts I did when I was skating. I really had to put my head down and stay positive. I had to fight.” [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing challenges requires tapping into competitive drive and staying mentally positive despite setbacks. **In simple terms:** Use inner competition and positivity to overcome tough times. Key Takeaway Stay focused, positive, and fight through adversity. Themes resilience mindset competition positivity determination Mood hopeful steady Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - sports training - career setbacks - personal crises - health recovery Key Concepts mental toughness goal setting self‑discipline Questions to Reflect On - What inner resources help you stay positive? - How can you maintain focus under pressure? A Different Perspective Positive mindset may not eliminate external obstacles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competitive Instincts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitive-instincts-2381423/) [Down and](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down-and/) [Draws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draws/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Got Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-tough-483604/) [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Positive Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-fight-1117825/) [Skating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skating/) [Stay positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-positive/) [Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough/) [Tough Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough-really-1269017/) ## Related quotes > [If you try to be positive you can put up a fight , if you deal with them now things will turn out right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/migzylou/if-you-try-to-be-positive-you-can-put-up-a-fight-if-you-deal-with/) [Migzylou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/migzylou/) > [Some people say it is relaxing to fish. But not with me. I simply cannot switch off my competitive instincts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lewis/some-people-say-it-is-relaxing-to-fish-but-not-with-me-i-simply/) [Adrian Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lewis/) > [There is nothing wrong with having competitive instincts. They are survival instincts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-having-competitive-instincts-they-are/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [I won't have any competitive instincts in any sports, other than golf. I can't see being competitive in sports any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-won-t-have-any-competitive-instincts-in-any-sports-other-than-golf/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [Freshman year is tough, but you really find yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/freshman-year-is-tough-but-you-really-find-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you start out in the industry and things are tough, and you're not really making money, you question yourself: should I give up?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-enninful/when-you-start-out-in-the-industry-and-things-are-tough-and-you-re/) [Edward Enninful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-enninful/) > [“You have to overcome the fear and anger inside you,” the boy named Crow says. “Let a bright light shine in and melt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-have-to-overcome-the-fear-and-anger-inside-you-the-boy-named-crow/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I have to say that my husband and my children are so tough, there really is no space for pretension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miuccia-prada/i-have-to-say-that-my-husband-and-my-children-are-so-tough-there/) [Miuccia Prada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miuccia-prada/) > [Those people don't know how tough that really was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-mantle/those-people-don-t-know-how-tough-that-really-was/) [Mickey Mantle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-mantle/) > [Just being away from home was the toughest bit. Battling injuries, going to tournaments, and not even playing was tough, but they're not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-kyrgios/just-being-away-from-home-was-the-toughest-bit-battling-injuries/) [Nick Kyrgios](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-kyrgios/) > [It was tough at the time but when I was younger, my Dad. I would say my Dad, because without him I wouldn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thierry-henry/it-was-tough-at-the-time-but-when-i-was-younger-my-dad-i-would-say-my/) [Thierry Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thierry-henry/) > [Life is tough, and it's really tough when you're stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-runyon/life-is-tough-and-it-s-really-tough-when-you-re-stupid/) [Damon Runyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-runyon/) > [Everyone applauds each other's success in Hollywood because they know how tough it is, but it really comes down fundamentally to the process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rodriguez/everyone-applauds-each-other-s-success-in-hollywood-because-they-know/) [Robert Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rodriguez/) > [Being an entrepreneur is tough. Really, really tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-rose/being-an-entrepreneur-is-tough-really-really-tough/) [David S. Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-rose/) > [“I know people might think I'm strong or tough, but I'm really not. I'm a sheep in wolf's clothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-know-people-might-think-i-m-strong-or-tough-but-i-m-really-not-i-m/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) ## More by Peggy Fleming > [I think skating helped me find myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/i-think-skating-helped-me-find-myself/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [This is another kind of competition, but I'm being coached by an excellent team, and I've got a real strong competitive spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/this-is-another-kind-of-competition-but-i-m-being-coached-by-an/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [Love your sport. Never do it to please someone else; it has to be yours. That is all that will justify the hard work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/love-your-sport-never-do-it-to-please-someone-else-it-has-to-be-yours/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [Then came the choreography... the impact of music and choreography tends to really emphasize an overall feeling of what you really want out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/then-came-the-choreography-the-impact-of-music-and-choreography-tends/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [The ultimate goal should be doing your best and enjoying it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/the-ultimate-goal-should-be-doing-your-best-and-enjoying-it/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [The first thing is to love your sport. Never do it to please someone else. It has to be yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/the-first-thing-is-to-love-your-sport-never-do-it-to-please-someone/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [Skating was the vessel into which I could pour my heart and soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/skating-was-the-vessel-into-which-i-could-pour-my-heart-and-soul/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [It's a level of strength and character that few of us can imagine; a grace under pressure that few of us will ever attain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/it-s-a-level-of-strength-and-character-that-few-of-us-can-imagine-a/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [When I was on the ice, in the lights, with the music and the motion, there was a certain kind of flirtation that gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/when-i-was-on-the-ice-in-the-lights-with-the-music-and-the-motion/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [My sport taught me what I could do with my talents, whether in the rink or in the rest of my life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/my-sport-taught-me-what-i-could-do-with-my-talents-whether-in-the/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [“The first is to love your sport. Never do it to please someone else. It has to be yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/the-first-is-to-love-your-sport-never-do-it-to-please-someone-else-it/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [We wanted to be achievers, but being an achiever didn't mean that you stopped being a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/we-wanted-to-be-achievers-but-being-an-achiever-didn-t-mean-that-you/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [The world went by, and we didn't get caught up in all the other things, because we didn't have time. We had no spare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/the-world-went-by-and-we-didn-t-get-caught-up-in-all-the-other-things/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [As a young child, I played the violin. I think that that started the spark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/as-a-young-child-i-played-the-violin-i-think-that-that-started-the/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) > [In 1968, in the midst of the tumultuous 1960s, the Olympics were much more than just another event](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-fleming/in-1968-in-the-midst-of-the-tumultuous-1960s-the-olympics-were-much/) [Peggy Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) [Explore all 20 Peggy Fleming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-fleming/) ## More Down and quotes > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. 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It's a way to shut the rest of the world down and create your own world within it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-of-gab/music-is-how-i-get-free-it-s-a-way-to-shut-the-rest-of-the-world-down/) [Gift of Gab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-of-gab/) > [Being funny is one of my greatest strengths. I can make girls smile when they're down, and when they're having a good time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/being-funny-is-one-of-my-greatest-strengths-i-can-make-girls-smile/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [When I look at nature I feel as if I'll be able to paint it all, note it all down, and then you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/when-i-look-at-nature-i-feel-as-if-i-ll-be-able-to-paint-it-all-note/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. 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Something made them stronger than the other kids, the ones who had died in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-higson/there-was-a-reason-these-boys-were-still-alive-though-something-made/) [Charlie Higson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-higson/) [Browse all 2,527 Down and quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down-and/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When the going got tough, I really had to draw on many of the same competitive instincts I did when I was skating. I really had to put my head down and stay positive. 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