Ambition and achievement
Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.
— Nelson Mandela (1918–2013), Nelson Mandela on determination, From a letter to Makhaya Ntini on his 100th Cricket Test (17 December 2009). Source: From Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations © 2010 by Nelson R. Mandela and The Nelson Mandela Foundation

Ambition and achievement

What it means

Dedication and passion let people rise above difficult circumstances. Mandela wrote this to a cricketer celebrating a career milestone.

About the author

Nelson Mandela — President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

Source and verification

Source
Nelson Mandela on determination, From a letter to Makhaya Ntini on his 100th Cricket Test (17 December 2009). Source: From Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations © 2010 by Nelson R. Mandela and The Nelson Mandela Foundation
Reference
Nelson Mandela on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Short quotation from a work that is still in copyright, reproduced briefly for commentary with full attribution. Rights remain with the author or their estate.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

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