#carriejohnson

It's no wonder mantras are deeply rooted in religions all around the world. To repeat these meaningful words is a deeply meditative and personal experience, one that can fill you with hope, fire and inspiration. Repeating your mantra in your head while competing can distract you from pain, and can help push you further than you ever thought you could go. There's little doubt that mantras are the fuel of champions.

Ten Athletic Champions from various sports share their personal mantras. Try one on for size, and then invent your own perfect words that keep you inspired healthy and strong.

"Falling in life is inevitable—staying down is optional."

-Carrie Johnson, Olympic Sprint Canoer

"Keep calm and carry on."

-Betsey Armstrong, Olympic Gold medal winning U.S. water polo Goalkeeper

"Go, go, go, go." 

-Morgan Mitchell, Australian 4x400 Olympic sprinter

"Someone out there is training harder, faster, stronger." 

-Ali Krieger, U.S. FIFA women's world cup Champion

"Tell me I can't, and I will show you I can." 

-Carmen Marton, Australia's First Taekwondo World Champion

"On and Up." 

-Chelsea Jaensch, Australian Track and Field Olympian Specializing in the Long Jump

"Steady, ready, poised, winning."

-Arielle Martin, Professional U.S. BMX cyclist.

“These are not sacrifices, but investments.”

-Gwen Jorgensen, world triathlete series champion

"Look good, feel good, do good." 

-Amanda Bingson, Olympic Hammer thrower who still holds the world record for furthest hammer throw.

"Failure is Fuel." 

-Kayla Harrison Judo Olympic gold medalist and world champion

Feeling Inspired? Now get out there and kick some butt! Now for my favorite mantra that got me through a triathlon and all the training leading up to it - “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” (Thanks Daft Punk.)

Written by C.L. Brenton

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Have questions about the Justice Department’s Ferguson report? 

On Wednesday, the DOJ issued a scathing report about the Ferguson, Mo. police department, writing that the data “establish clear racial disparities that adversely impact African-Americans.“ The Justice Department also released a report Wednesday saying it found no reliable evidence to disprove the testimony of former officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed Michael Brown last summer. 

NPR’s Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson and St. Louis Public Radio's Emanuele Berry covered the reports & reaction  and take your questions at 3pm C.T. / 4pm E.T. today on Reddit.

The United States spends nearly $7 billion a year to operate a network of federal prisons that house more than 200,000 inmates. About half of them are incarcerated for drug crimes, a legacy of 1980s laws that prosecutors use to target not only kingpins but also low-level couriers and girlfriends. 

A new NPR series from Carrie Johnson and Marisa Peñaloza is focusing on the human toll of these mandatory prison sentences. Check it out below, and you can hear the next part on NPR's All Things Considered today:

Judge Regrets Harsh Human Toll Of Mandatory Minimum Sentences