If I've learned nothing else, it's that time and practice equal achievement.

The line distills a hard-earned, athlete’s view of excellence: achievement is less a product of innate talent than of sustained investment. “Time” suggests patience and long horizons—skills and results compound slowly—while “practice” emphasizes deliberate repetition, discipline, and willingness to endure boredom and failure. The equation-like phrasing (“equal achievement”) frames success as something earned through controllable inputs rather than luck or inspiration. Read in light of elite sport, it also implies that confidence and mastery come from accumulated hours under pressure, and that setbacks are not disproof of ability but part of the training ledger that eventually pays out in performance.