Lou Zamperini a 1930s high school track star from Southern California competed in the 1936 Olympics and later joined the U.S. Army Air Corps as a bombardier.
In 1943 his plane crashed and he survived 47 days at sea before being captured by the Japanese.
He endured two years in a brutal POW camp.
Post-war Zamperini became a Christian motivational speaker focusing on forgiveness and even spoke in Japan.
He carried the Olympic Flame three times and was the subject of the book “Unbroken” and its film adaptation.
Here are some of the most inspirational quotes by Louis Zamperini.
Best Louis Zamperini Quotes
The best way to meet any challenge is to be prepared for it. ~ Louis Zamperini.
It was all in His hands now – as it had always been. ~ Louis Zamperini, Devil at My Heels.
When you’re on a raft, you pray like in a foxhole. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I’ve always been called Lucky Louie. It’s no mystery why. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Unbroken was published as a help to society. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Never give up, no matter what. ~ Louis Zamperini.
The world, we’d discovered, doesn’t love you like your family loves you. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I wasn’t reaching for glory at Naoetsu. I just wouldn’t give the Bird the satisfaction of destroying my dignity. Don’t let anyone take yours away, either. ~ Louis Zamperini.
You only have one life. You should never be too busy to save it. ~ Louis Zamperini.
If you hate somebody, it’s like a boomerang that misses its target and comes back and hits you in the head. The one who hates is the one who hurts. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Your mind is everything. It’s like a muscle. You must exercise it or it will atrophy – just like a muscle. ~ Louis Zamperini.
To persevere, I think, is important for everybody. Don’t give up, don’t give in. There’s always an answer to everything. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, so I took Him at His word, begged for His pardon, and asked Jesus to come into my life. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I was raised to face any challenge. ~ Louis Zamperini.
One moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory. ~ Louis Zamperini.
The one who forgives never brings up the past to that person’s face. When you forgive, it’s like it never happened. True forgiveness is complete and total. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Top Louis Zamperini Quotes
God knew my needs and took care accordingly. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; they are just the stepping-stones to success. ~ Louis Zamperini.
When there’s no further hope, men always look up. ~ Louis Zamperini.
The Olympic Spirit is like the wind. You don’t see it coming or going but you hear its voice. You feel the power of its presence. You enjoy the results of its passing. And then it becomes a memory, an echo of days of glory. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Isn’t one minute of pain worth a lifetime of glory? ~ Louis Zamperini.
I wonder what they’d do if they knew the truth about my high life and my low life and all the demons in between. ~ Louis Zamperini.
The Bible says all things work together for good, for those who love the Lord. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Positive self-esteem must be preceded by self-respect. To get self-respect you have to do something good. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Popular Louis Zamperini Quotes
You have to reach deep within yourself to see if you are willing to make the sacrifices. ~ Louis Zamperini.
If you try to stand alone, you’re going to fall. The Lord says, ‘Cast all your cares upon me’ – in other words, lean your entire weight on me – ’and I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. ~ Louis Zamperini.
To live, a man needs food, water, and a sharp mind. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I knew then that I would not turn back. I’d struggled to come this far, and I would commit myself to whatever happened next. ~ Louis Zamperini.
If you give everything and you lose, so what? It’s not going to put you in your grave. I walked away knowing I could handle defeat gracefully, and I had more self-esteem from that than from winning the race. ~ Louis Zamperini.
There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not, Dr. Graham said. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Pain is that last quarter of a mile. You feel it, but when you’re through racing, your whole body just feels elated. So the pain is worth it. ~ Louis Zamperini.
If you cling to the axe you’re grinding, eventually you’ll only hurt yourself. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I’ve got to say that is – the highest emotion of the human experience is going down in a plane knowing your going to die! ~ Louis Zamperini.
I believe everybody in the world should try to help somebody else. Let’s say half the people in the world are successful. If they help the other half, hey, you’ve got no problem. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I’d made it this far and refused to give up because all my life I had always finished the race. ~ Louis Zamperini.
That’s one thing you learn in sports. You don’t give up; you fight to the finish. ~ Louis Zamperini.
If I can take it, I can make it. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Famous Louis Zamperini Quotes
Yet a part of you still believes you can fight and survive no matter what your mind knows. It’s not so strange. Where there’s still life, there’s still hope. What happens is up to God. ~ Louis Zamperini.
All I knew was that hate was so deadly as any poison and did no one any good. You had to control and eliminate it, if you could. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I’ve accepted Christ as my Savior. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Everyone needs that support-even if at first you don’t think you do. Look around. See who’s on your side and in your corner. You don’t have to go it alone. ~ Louis Zamperini.
The great commandment is that we preach the gospel to every creature, but neither God nor the Bible says anything about forcing it down people’s throats. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Even at my age, I’m trying to improve. Never give up, no matter what. Even if you get last place – finish. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Every soldier should learn survival on land, sea, and in the air. ~ Louis Zamperini.
However dark the night, however dim our hopes, the light will always follow darkness. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I just knew that no matter how bad the pain, I had to keep going. ~ Louis Zamperini.
What I’ve learned is that the more you help people, the longer you live. The good feelings are a healing process. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Inspirational Louis Zamperini Quotes
God has given me so much. He expects so much out of me. ~ Louis Zamperini.
To whom much has been given, much is expected. ~ Louis Zamperini.
The great lesson of my life is perseverance. Never give up. It’s like my brother said, Isn’t one minute of pain worth a lifetime of glory? ~ Louis Zamperini.
All I want to tell young people is that you’re not going to be anything in life unless you learn to commit to a goal. You have to reach deep within yourself to see if you are willing to make the sacrifices. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I thought I had problems, but now, knowing what you went through, I’ve stopped feeling sorry for myself. I’m going to quit tearing myself apart and treat my problems more lightly. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I’ve gone through my life drawing from my experiences both positive and negative to try and influence others for the good. ~ Louis Zamperini.
You should make your life count right up to the last minute. ~ Louis Zamperini.
For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? ~ Louis Zamperini.
Hope is incomplete and ongoing. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and is complete. ~ Louis Zamperini.
By the way, I didn’t win the 5000-meter race at the Olympics, but making the team and not winning is like going to the moon and stumbling over a rock and falling. So what? You’re still on the moon. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Louie in his early eighties. I think my skateboarding shakes up a few people. Some stop their cars to be sure their eyes aren’t deceiving them. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I didn’t know it then, but my persistence, perseverance, and unwillingness to accept defeat when things looked all but hopeless were part of the very character traits I would need to make it through World War II alive. ~ Louis Zamperini.
Self-esteem can’t win you a race if you’re not in shape. ~ Louis Zamperini.
I was a rotten kid. My excitement came from seeing what I could get away with. ~ Louis Zamperini.
So these were the 61 top Louis Zamperini quotes on life, running and Olympics.
If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on Ringo Starr quotes and Nellie Bly quotes.
