Unless you stake your life, life will not be won.

-Heisenberg,Werner
  Der Teil und das Ganze, translated by A  J Pomerans as Physics and Beyond (1971).

   They talk about who won and who lost. Human reason won. Mankind won.

-Khrushchev, Nikita Sergeyevich
  Of the ending of the Cuban missile crisis. In the Observer, 11 Nov.

Remember that you are an Englishman, and have consequently won first prize in the lottery of life.

-Rhodes, Cecil John
Quoted in Peter Ustinov Dear Me (1977).This has also been attributed to Lord Milner.

For when the One Great Scorer comes To write against your name, He marksönot that you won or lostö But how you played the game.

-Rice, Grantland
Only the Brave,'Alumnus Football'.

IT'S THE SUN WOT WON IT

-The Sun
  Headline,11 Apr, after the general election victory by the Conservatives.

To love one maiden only, cleave to her, And worship her by years of noble deeds, Until they won her; for indeed I knew Of no more subtle master under heaven Than is the maiden passion for a maid, Not only to keep down the base in man, But teach high thought, and aimable words And courtliness, and the desire of fame, And love of truth, and all that makes man.

-Tennyson
  Idylls of the King,'Guinevere', l.472^80.

The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.

-Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of
Attributed, and probably apocryphal. Quoted in Count Charles de Montalembert De l'Avenir politique de l'Angleterre (1856), ch.10:'C'est ici qu'a e¤  te¤   gagne¤   la bataille deWaterloo'.

We have†fought for our place in the sun and have won it.It will be my business to seethat we retain this place in the sun unchallenged.

-Wilhelm II, Kaiser
Speech in Hamburg,18 Jun. Quoted in TheTimes, 20 Jun.