Dan O'Brien
Dan O'Brien
American decathlete who won an Olympic Gold medal in 1996, as well as titles at the World Championships in Athletics.
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDecathlete
Date of Birth18 July 1966
CityPortland, OR
CountryUnited States of America
defined failures learned paid people successes
As athletes, we're defined by what we've accomplished. Those are what most people remember and what you get paid for. But I learned more from my failures than from all of my successes put together - failures as an athlete and as a person.
cincinnati continue parallel preferred prepare resolution standpoint
From the standpoint of the Cincinnati Reds, the preferred resolution is a settlement, but that may not be possible. At this point, we're going to continue to negotiate, but on a parallel track, we've got to prepare for an arbitration hearing.
looks shirt somebody tony wearing worry
Somebody said the shirt I was wearing looks like a dress, and Tony told me, 'Don't worry, I got your back,'
baseball winning thinking
I was playing little league baseball when Bruce Jenner was winning the gold but I don't think I was really paying attention at that time.
winning gold special
Breaking the world record in '92 was a very special personal moment, but I'd say my favorite moment as a decathlete was winning the Olympic gold medal.
communication athlete successful
When first starting to work with someone you try to get them in the same mindset that you were in when you were successful, and I realized the best thing you can ever do is realize that they are not you. They have a different persona and mindset, and you have to figure out what works best within your communication with that athlete.
chameleon
I call myself a chameleon.
motivational athlete men
It took me time to realize that the men who won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon are just men, just like me.
writing winter house
You can only look forward to a South Dakota winter if, as with childbirth, remodeling a house, or writing a novel, you're able to forget how bad it was the last time.
fun athlete winning
As a young athlete, it was first about having fun; then it was about winning.
rocks get-better rolling
And there is such a thing as a decathlon high. It's like a rock rolling down hill, picking up momentum. You get better and better.
thinking perfect safety
I think what my parents did was perfect. They were strict, concerned about my safety and held me back just a little.
single-life scissors knows
I always know where the scissors are.
dream winning jail
Through everything I've gone through- and I've been everywhere, at the top of the world, in jail, hung over drunk - I never gave up my dream of winning a gold medal in the Olympics.