Muhammad Ali claimed he was the greatest before he proved it. Even though he stopped fighting long before any current Panther runner was born, you probably know his name well.

Be careful here. There is a fine line between being arrogant and self-assured, and holding yourself accountable.

So starting with the basics: Do what you say! While running a 10K in my teenage years, I had to stop and walk due to a side ache. As a competitor passed me by, he gave me some words of encouragement. I said "Don't worry. I will catch back up." I did. I did the same thing when I was running an alumni race at my old high school.

When you fulfill your promises to yourself and to others, you know you did not let anyone down. The true champion fulfills his commitments, even when it hurts to do so. Start by telling yourself what you are going to do. And remember, your true character is who you are when no one else is watching. That can be the hardest time to be true to yourself.

For Carl Lewis, he was not very fast as a young child. But in high school, it started. He wore the number 25 on his letterman's jacket. People asked him what that was for. He said "That is how far I am going to long jump in High School." They laughed, but he didn't when he reached that goal.

Carl Lewis went on to become the greatest track and field Olympian in history: 9 Gold Medals and one Silver!