The Man in the Arena
Below is the famous Theodore Roosevelt quote, which was said on April 23, 1910. This quote promotes a philosophy and way of life that encourages courageous action despite the risks of failure and criticism. Athletes can make this philosophy their own by making a commitment to living it out.
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
—Theodore Roosevelt
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris
According to the New York Times of December 1, 1899, Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed training in wrestling during his time as Governor of New York.