--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't even think that I could be…" description: "\"I didn't even think that I could be competing for a gold medal; I was convinced I'd compete for a silver medal.\" — Sunisa Lee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/sunisa-lee-39122_competing_i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-comp_1709268.jpg" --- # I didn't even think that I could be competing for a gold… ![“I didn't even think that I could be competing for a gold medal; I was convinced I'd compete for a silver medal.” quote by Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/sunisa-lee-39122_competing_i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-comp_1709268.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/sunisa-lee-39122_competing_i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-comp_1709268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/sunisa-lee-39122_competing_i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-comp_1709268.jpg) > “I didn't even think that I could be competing for a gold medal; I was convinced I'd compete for a silver medal.” [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑imposed limits can shape expectations, but ambition can surpass them. **In simple terms:** Limits shape goals; ambition can exceed. Key Takeaway Challenge your own expectations. Themes sports self‑belief goal setting competition Mood motivational reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - training regimens - career planning - personal development - coaching sessions Key Concepts psychology performance motivation growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - What limits have you set for yourself? - How can you raise your aspirations? A Different Perspective Pressure may cause self‑sabotage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compete Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compete-silver-1230626/) [Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) [Competing Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing-gold-1230625/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Gold medal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold-medal/) [Medal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medal/) [Medal Convinced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medal-convinced-1230624/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver/) [Silver Medal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver-medal-815422/) ## Related quotes > [And what is a gold medal? I'd never really thought about it before Nagano. Now I realize that it's a dream to strive for.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/and-what-is-a-gold-medal-i-d-never-really-thought-about-it-before/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [Whatever earnings I got from winning this silver medal, part will be used for my college education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hidilyn-diaz/whatever-earnings-i-got-from-winning-this-silver-medal-part-will-be/) [Hidilyn Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hidilyn-diaz/) > [I won my tournament. I won the Silver Medal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kite/i-won-my-tournament-i-won-the-silver-medal/) [Tom Kite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kite/) > [At Oracle, silver medal is first loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/safra-a-catz/at-oracle-silver-medal-is-first-loser/) [Safra A. Catz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/safra-a-catz/) > [The silver medal is incredible, because we worked so hard for so many years. Sacrificing, absolutely demolishing our bodies for hours a day, 11…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-alvarez/the-silver-medal-is-incredible-because-we-worked-so-hard-for-so-many/) [Eddy Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-alvarez/) > [I have a problem with that silver medal. It's like, 'Congratulation s, you almost won. Of all the losers, you're the number one loser.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/i-have-a-problem-with-that-silver-medal-it-s-like-congratulation-s/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I'm a wealthy man now. I've got a flat, a car, I have enough money to buy food. I skate to make the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-m-a-wealthy-man-now-i-ve-got-a-flat-a-car-i-have-enough-money-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I take a lot of pride in my first '92 gold medal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/i-take-a-lot-of-pride-in-my-first-92-gold-medal/) [Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/) > [People fall down, winners get up, and gold medal winners just get up faster!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-st-john/people-fall-down-winners-get-up-and-gold-medal-winners-just-get-up/) [Bonnie St. John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-st-john/) > [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/) > [Going to the Olympics as a Maasai I want to make them proud because, after the warm welcome they gave me when I went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rudisha/going-to-the-olympics-as-a-maasai-i-want-to-make-them-proud-because/) [David Rudisha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rudisha/) > [Skiing is my favorite sport, because, that's the only sport that is actually better to watch the worst the person is at it. "That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/skiing-is-my-favorite-sport-because-that-s-the-only-sport-that-is/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [When Olympic decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner asked a roomful of Olympic hopefuls if they had a list of written goals, every one raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/when-olympic-decathlon-gold-medalist-bruce-jenner-asked-a-roomful-of/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [I want to win a gold medal in London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerri-walsh/i-want-to-win-a-gold-medal-in-london/) [Kerri Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerri-walsh/) > [No matter what. Wherever your mind wanders, it seems to turn up at the same Field of Dreams. It's the vision you wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/no-matter-what-wherever-your-mind-wanders-it-seems-to-turn-up-at-the/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) ## More by Sunisa Lee > [After you take time off, it can be really scary to do the harder things you used to do, and I personally hate being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/after-you-take-time-off-it-can-be-really-scary-to-do-the-harder/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) > [I realized that I could actually miss practice and rest, then come back to the gym and still have my skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/i-realized-that-i-could-actually-miss-practice-and-rest-then-come/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) > [Usually, Hmong funerals last several days and our whole family comes together for it. It's a Hmong tradition to fold thousands of little paper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/usually-hmong-funerals-last-several-days-and-our-whole-family-comes/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) > [When I'm scared of hurting myself, I start to overthink things and won't go for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/when-i-m-scared-of-hurting-myself-i-start-to-overthink-things-and-won/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) > [I knew the coronavirus was a real thing, but it really hit home when my aunt died, and it was really hard to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/i-knew-the-coronavirus-was-a-real-thing-but-it-really-hit-home-when/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) > [For me, I know that people always expect me to be perfect, so when I'm not perfect, it's really frustrating. I'm really hard on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/for-me-i-know-that-people-always-expect-me-to-be-perfect-so-when-i-m/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) > [I've talked to Simone Biles a lot, and it's really nice to get to know her in this way because she was my idol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/i-ve-talked-to-simone-biles-a-lot-and-it-s-really-nice-to-get-to-know/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) > [It's just I spend more time on bars and beam. I obviously want to perfect those and get those to be the best that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/it-s-just-i-spend-more-time-on-bars-and-beam-i-obviously-want-to/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) > [The uneven bars make me especially nervous because when you stop training, you lose sense of where the bar is going to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/the-uneven-bars-make-me-especially-nervous-because-when-you-stop/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) > [I focus more on bars and beam just because those are my strongest events, and I just try and maintain whatever I can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/i-focus-more-on-bars-and-beam-just-because-those-are-my-strongest/) [Sunisa Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) [Explore all 11 Sunisa Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/) ## 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": "I didn't even think that I could be competing for a gold medal; I was convinced I'd compete for a silver medal.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sunisa Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-competing-for-a-gold-medal-i-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Competing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-competing-for-a-gold-medal-i-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/sunisa-lee-39122_competing_i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-comp_1709268.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/sunisa-lee-39122_competing_i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-comp_1709268.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/sunisa-lee-39122_competing_i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-comp_1709268.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I didn't even think that I could be competing for a gold medal; I was convinced I'd compete for a silver…” — Sunisa Lee", "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": "Sunisa Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunisa-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I didn't even think that I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-competing-for-a-gold-medal-i-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunisa-lee/i-didn-t-even-think-that-i-could-be-competing-for-a-gold-medal-i-was/#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 } } ] } ```