--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just being in competition with other…" description: "\"“Just being in competition with other junior elite girls like Katelyn Ohashi and Lexie Priessman pushed me to raise my game. Once, I’d been hesitant to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/simone-biles-4160_quote_just-being-in-competition-with-other-jun_538373.jpg" --- # Just being in competition with other junior elite girls… ![“Just being in competition with other junior elite girls like Katelyn Ohashi and Lexie Priessman pushed me to raise my game. Once, I’d been hesitant to beat these girls because I was afraid they wouldn’t like me if I did. I now understood how wrong that thinking was. Every one of us had worked for…” quote by Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/simone-biles-4160_quote_just-being-in-competition-with-other-jun_538373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/simone-biles-4160_quote_just-being-in-competition-with-other-jun_538373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/simone-biles-4160_quote_just-being-in-competition-with-other-jun_538373.jpg) > ““Just being in competition with other junior elite girls like Katelyn Ohashi and Lexie Priessman pushed me to raise my game. Once, I’d been hesitant to beat these girls because I was afraid they wouldn’t like me if I did. I now understood how wrong that thinking was. Every one of us had worked for years to earn our place in the arena. Competing my hardest in all my events was the highest form of respect I could show to them and to myself. Besides, as my mom always told me, “Don’t ever compete against someone else, Simone. You don’t go out there to beat another person. You go out there to do your very best. And if your very best means that you win that competition, that’s the way it should be. If your very best means that you come in third or fourth, that’s fine too. As long as you did your best. You don’t go out there grudgingly and think, Oh, I need to beat the person. No, no, no. You go out there and be the best Simone you can be. And whatever that outcome is, we’ll take it.”” [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Competing against peers should inspire personal excellence, not fear of rivalry; true respect comes from giving your best regardless of outcome. **In simple terms:** Compete to improve yourself, not to defeat others. Key Takeaway Focus on personal best, not others' approval. Themes sports mindset self‑improvement Mood determined reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - gymnastics meets - team training - personal goal setting Key Concepts growth mindset intrinsic motivation respect performance pressure Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated when you fear judgment? - What does “best” mean to you? A Different Perspective Balancing competitive drive with sportsmanship can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) ## Related quotes > [So maybe the elite girls arn't for me, but one of these days I'm going to meet a girl who really loves me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mouth-mcfadden/so-maybe-the-elite-girls-arn-t-for-me-but-one-of-these-days-i-m-going/) [Mouth McFadden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mouth-mcfadden/) > [But I'm not that guy, Rachel, and I don't want to be. So maybe the elite girls just aren't for me. But one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mouth-mcfadden/but-i-m-not-that-guy-rachel-and-i-don-t-want-to-be-so-maybe-the-elite/) [Mouth McFadden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mouth-mcfadden/) > [I know I can come away with the win whatever the competition. Second place in any competition is disappointing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armand-duplantis/i-know-i-can-come-away-with-the-win-whatever-the-competition-second/) [Armand Duplantis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armand-duplantis/) > [We want to win every competition and the Carabao Cup is part of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-foden/we-want-to-win-every-competition-and-the-carabao-cup-is-part-of-that/) [Phil Foden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-foden/) > [We want to win every competition we play in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-busquets/we-want-to-win-every-competition-we-play-in/) [Sergio Busquets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-busquets/) > [It was great to win that competition and when people ask me what was my best moment in England, I always say winning my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianfranco-zola/it-was-great-to-win-that-competition-and-when-people-ask-me-what-was/) [Gianfranco Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianfranco-zola/) > [The American culture especially, and Western culture in general, urges us to not only become the best that we can be, but also win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/the-american-culture-especially-and-western-culture-in-general-urges/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) > [Deep inside, I was hoping I'd win: The competition was tough, but I learned from other's mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nafisa-joseph/deep-inside-i-was-hoping-i-d-win-the-competition-was-tough-but-i/) [Nafisa Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nafisa-joseph/) > [When you come into the food industry from the 'Bake Off,' you're very much at the lower end of the food chain, if you'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whaite/when-you-come-into-the-food-industry-from-the-bake-off-you-re-very/) [John Whaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-whaite/) > [If you reach the Champions League semifinals three times in a row that speaks for itself. To win this competition isn't easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-alaba/if-you-reach-the-champions-league-semifinals-three-times-in-a-row/) [David Alaba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-alaba/) > [When you want to win a competition you have to play all the best teams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gervinho/when-you-want-to-win-a-competition-you-have-to-play-all-the-best-teams/) [Gervinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gervinho/) > [Even if you have won it before, you just want to keep winning the Champions League. Every season, the ambition is to win the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/even-if-you-have-won-it-before-you-just-want-to-keep-winning-the/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [A team like Barca has to fight to win every competition it goes in for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordi-alba/a-team-like-barca-has-to-fight-to-win-every-competition-it-goes-in-for/) [Jordi Alba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordi-alba/) > [I never thought about competing in the Olympic Games when I was growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-never-thought-about-competing-in-the-olympic-games-when-i-was/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [When you reach that competing point, when you reach that time when the gun is about to go off, everyone's level is pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/when-you-reach-that-competing-point-when-you-reach-that-time-when-the/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) ## More by Simone Biles > [I never felt I had questions or needed answers or had a part of me that was missing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-never-felt-i-had-questions-or-needed-answers-or-had-a-part-of-me/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [The floor exercise is a way to express your personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/the-floor-exercise-is-a-way-to-express-your-personality/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [A successful competition for me is always going out there and putting 100 percent into whatever I'm doing. It's not always winning. People, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/a-successful-competition-for-me-is-always-going-out-there-and-putting/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [It was a very long and hard decision. My dad kept telling me, 'You can always go to college, but you can't always go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/it-was-a-very-long-and-hard-decision-my-dad-kept-telling-me-you-can/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [At the end of the day, if I can say I had fun, it was a good day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/at-the-end-of-the-day-if-i-can-say-i-had-fun-it-was-a-good-day/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [I spend a lot of time in the gym training, and Core Power is a great fit for my nutritional needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-in-the-gym-training-and-core-power-is-a-great/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [If they said, 'Do five pull-ups,' I would always want to do 10.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/if-they-said-do-five-pull-ups-i-would-always-want-to-do-10/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [ \[People saying to me\] "You look taller on TV." I get that all the time. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/people-saying-to-me-you-look-taller-on-tv-i-get-that-all-the-time/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [For me to compete at the highest level, training and living a healthy lifestyle is an everyday focus for me, and I'm excited to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/for-me-to-compete-at-the-highest-level-training-and-living-a-healthy/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [I didn't really ever dream of going to the Olympics until after 2012.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-didn-t-really-ever-dream-of-going-to-the-olympics-until-after-2012/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [I'm always trying to push myself to the limit to see what I can do. It's my strong will that I've always had since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-m-always-trying-to-push-myself-to-the-limit-to-see-what-i-can-do-it/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [I would say to always follow your dream. And dream big because my whole career, including any of the things that I've accomplished, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-would-say-to-always-follow-your-dream-and-dream-big-because-my/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [I've never been to the Olympics, so I don't know what to expect. It's better for me, just like my first Worlds... My third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-ve-never-been-to-the-olympics-so-i-don-t-know-what-to-expect-it-s/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [I can only control what I do when I go compete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-can-only-control-what-i-do-when-i-go-compete/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [I never thought about competing in the Olympic Games when I was growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-never-thought-about-competing-in-the-olympic-games-when-i-was/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) [Explore all 115 Simone Biles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) ## More Competing quotes > [When you reach that competing point, when you reach that time when the gun is about to go off, everyone's level is pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/when-you-reach-that-competing-point-when-you-reach-that-time-when-the/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/) [Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/) > [I competed every day as a professional football player... You've got to like competing. That's how your team gets better, when you have competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-competed-every-day-as-a-professional-football-player-you-ve-got-to/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [There are 16 year olds competing at the olympics and i still push on pull doors & struggle getting through the whole day without a nap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-eastwood/there-are-16-year-olds-competing-at-the-olympics-and-i-still-push-on/) [Scott Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-eastwood/) > [I love nothing more than going out there and competing. And baseball's my outlet to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-fried/i-love-nothing-more-than-going-out-there-and-competing-and-baseball-s/) [Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) > [I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-ve-always-worked-closely-with-the-designers-and-whoever-s-making/) [Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/) > [I don't think anybody who carries a rifle carries the future. Because I don't believe that you can really change the world by killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-don-t-think-anybody-who-carries-a-rifle-carries-the-future-because/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [America breeds ambition and while that can be a good thing, sometimes it's not. Ambition also breeds competition and that can be a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaka-khan/america-breeds-ambition-and-while-that-can-be-a-good-thing-sometimes/) [Chaka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaka-khan/) > [I'll miss the competitive side and the camaraderie of being around the players and competing each and every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/i-ll-miss-the-competitive-side-and-the-camaraderie-of-being-around/) [Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/) > [Being away from the game and just remembering why I love competing and all of that, I think it helped me tremendously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-keys/being-away-from-the-game-and-just-remembering-why-i-love-competing/) [Madison Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-keys/) > [Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/competing-is-intense-among-humans-and-within-a-group-selfish/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We're competing against other great cities: Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. That's why it's important that we all join together on the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-daley/we-re-competing-against-other-great-cities-madrid-rio-de-janeiro-and/) [Richard M. Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-daley/) > [That this is not a sense of innovation and competition increasing prices because some other company is coming in and competing with Martin Shkreli.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ann-reid/that-this-is-not-a-sense-of-innovation-and-competition-increasing/) [Joy-Ann Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ann-reid/) > [Some people steal from others, or defraud them, or enslave them, seizing their product and preventing them from living as they choose, or forcibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-nozick/some-people-steal-from-others-or-defraud-them-or-enslave-them-seizing/) [Robert Nozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-nozick/) [Browse all 1,003 Competing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Just being in competition with other junior elite girls like Katelyn Ohashi and Lexie Priessman pushed me to raise my game. Once, I’d been hesitant to beat these girls because I was afraid they wouldn’t like me if I did. I now understood how wrong that thinking was. Every one of us had worked for years to earn our place in the arena. Competing my hardest in all my events was the highest form of respect I could show to them and to myself. Besides, as my mom always told me, “Don’t ever compete against someone else, Simone. You don’t go out there to beat another person. You go out there to do your very best. And if your very best means that you win that competition, that’s the way it should be. If your very best means that you come in third or fourth, that’s fine too. As long as you did your best. You don’t go out there grudgingly and think, Oh, I need to beat the person. No, no, no. You go out there and be the best Simone you can be. 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