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The maker of the soft-drink bottle meant something else. But to 11-year old John Naber, the words had real meaning. "I have to invest in my dreams if I want to see those dreams come true."

John practiced by swimming 10 miles a day, six days a week, for 11 months a year. In total he swam the equivalent of more than twice the circumference of the world. John says about this dedication:

"Every Olympian feels it is the act of paying the price up-front, the willingness to invest in ourselves, the understanding that we have to feel tired to get stronger, that has allowed us to reach the Olympic Games."

"The Olympian views each day of practice, each party unattended, each distraction withstood, or each temptation resisted as a part of the price gladly paid to experience that wonderful feeling when the national anthem is played."

John kept focused on improvement. As he practiced, he extrapolated the times he felt he needed for the next Olympic Games.

"At the time I was covering the distance in 59.5 seconds. I had to improve by four seconds to reach a time that I thought I needed to win, but I had four years to improve. That meant one second per year, about one-tenth of a second per month. I can do that, I thought."

When John sprang from the starting blocks during the Olympic race, he continued to keep focused on improvement. He won the race in a world record time of 55.49 seconds. Better than the goal he had set for improvement four years before the race!

Winning four gold medals and a silver medal, John Naber became the most highly decorated member of the 1976 Olympic team. John's unswerving focus on his dreams helped him achieve his goals.

The Olympic Spirit in YOU!
John Naber kept focused on improvement, and his goal. John first visualized himself as an Olympian because the goal was worthy of his focus. He then developed a plan to reach that goal. Write a paragraph about each of the following:

• I'm happiest when…
• I'm good at…
• I'm most proud of…
• I'm best at home when…
• I'm best at school when…
• I would do this if I had no limits…

More Athletes

Ann Meyers Drysdale Bart Conner Billy Mills Baron Pierre de Coubertin Gail Devers Greg Barton Henry Marsh John Naber

Karch Kiraly Mary Lou Retton Matt Ghaffari Milt Campbell Nadia Comaneci Nancy Hogshead Paul Gonzales Terry Schroeder

For more great stories about Olympians, ask your librarian for books about Olympic spirit, including Awaken the Olympian Within complied by John Naber, and The Olympic Dream and Spirit, Vol. 1, 2, and 3, with Bob Schaller.