As the first-ever Singaporean to bring home an Olympic gold medal, Joseph Schooling has undoubtedly been the inspiration for a whole new generation of sportspeople, both locally and in the region. Here, we round up the sporting legend’s most inspiring quotes
ON SUCCESS
“Dare to dream. If you have a dream, go all out and pursue the dream. The journey will not be easy but it will be worth it. A lot of time, hard work and sacrifices will need to be made to be a champion. There is never a shortcut to success.”
—Echo, November 2016
ON DOUBTS
“Everyone has doubts. It’s all about how you turn those doubts into positive moments. And I’m really glad I could do that.”
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CONSISTENT
“You can’t be super locked onto something and be hyper focused all the time. But consistency is key. No one can be their best in training or at the meet all the time. But as long as you can be as consistent as you can be at the top, I think that’s the best you can do.”
—Esquire Singapore June/July 2018
Related: Joseph Schooling on Defending His Olympic Gold and Life After Swimming
ON TREATING PEOPLE WITH RESPECT
“You always have to be respectful, and that goes for being an ambassador or being a role model. You always have to treat people with respect. Sometimes you're tired, and sometimes you're cranky but that's when you really need to take a deep breath, take a step back, and realise that you're in an awesome position and you should never take anything for granted.”
—Buro Singapore, September 2018
ON DEALING WITH HATERS
“You’ve got to tune out the haters. The more people who say bad things or throw shade and hate at you, to me, that’s awesome. Because the more hate you get, the more successful you are.”
—Esquire Singapore June/July 2018
ON BEING A TRUE BLUE SINGAPOREAN
“I am Singaporean at heart and a 100 per cent Singaporean, no FT (foreign talent) all that things and whatever. So I am just trying to do my best for myself and my country and I am glad it turned out this way."
Related: Joseph Schooling is Hugo Boss' First Singaporean Ambassador
ON HIS MOTIVATION TO EXCEL
“I did this for them. When you race for people greater than yourself, it really means a lot when you’ve accomplished what you want to do.”
ON HAVING THE BEST SUPPORT SYSTEM
“This moment is not about me, it’s really for my country, it’s about all my coaches, my friends, my family that believed that when I was a six-year-old kid that I could do it.”
The June 2021 issue of Tatler Singapore starring Joseph Schooling is now on newsstand and Magzter.