By Jerry Mooney
Do you ever think that maybe you should try a little harder to be more active in your life? Even though we all know that leading an active lifestyle with plenty of exercise is the best way to stay fit and healthy, there are still a few people out there who aren’t putting in as much effort as perhaps they should. Do you think that you are one of them? In that case, you might need to look for some great inspiration to help you get off the couch.
One of the best places to look for inspiration is the world of sport. There are so many inspiring sports men and women out there, all of whom we should look up to when it comes to getting fit and healthy. Ready to be inspired by some truly excellent players and athletes? Read on for more!
Pat Tillman
If you ask anyone who the most inspiring American sportsman in history is, they might mention Pat Tillman. Unfortunately, his story is a sad one. He started his American football career with the Arizona Cardinals. However, after just his fourth season with the team, he enlisted in the American army. He decided to change his career path after being deeply affected by the events of 9/11. Unfortunately, only two years after joining up, he was killed in action in Afghanistan. Still to this day, though, Tillman’s memory lives on and he is often quoted as being one of the most inspiring and patriotic football players that America has ever seen.
Venus Williams
It’s impossible to think about tennis without thinking about the two Williams sisters. These are two of the best-known tennis players that have ever been, and when you look back at their careers there is no wonder why. Just take Venus Williams for example. Thanks to her brilliant strength, determination, and achievement, she has helped to change the face of women’s tennis for the better. Her serve reached the 100 miles per hour mark at the tender age of just ten years old! That’s impressive, even for adults! In 1997, she was the very first unseeded player to make it to the finals of an Open. She finally won Wimbledon in 2000 and has been inspiring young girls to make it in the world of tennis ever since!
Josh Hamilton
When you are buying the best baseball gloves, you might want to look for a pair from a brand that was popular with a favorite player. Well, why not look for the brand of gloves that Josh Hamilton used to wear? He has played for a number of different clubs over the years, including the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, and the Angeles Angels of Anaheim. However, his career has had its own ups and downs, including a set back after he suffered from a drug addiction. Those down times haven’t been enough to completely derail Hamilton, though, and he continues to work as a professional baseball player and still inspires many fans to this very day!
Caster Semenya
You might have heard quite a bit about Caster Semenya as she has been in the news for the past couple of years. This South African runner is one of the world’s best middle-distance runners. She even won the gold medal for the 800 metres at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. However, Semenya has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. It is widely believed that Semenya suffers from hyperandrogenism which means that she has very high levels of testosterone in her body. This makes her much faster than her fellow female competitors. Because of this, there have been many calls for her to take hormone treatments or to stop competing as she has an unfair advantage. But Semenya isn’t going to let any of this negativity from her competitors get her down and she continues to compete to this day. Her attitude in such adverse situations is something that everyone should aspire to!
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali has to be one of the most famous boxers ever. He was also one of the best that ever stepped into a ring as well! He was the heavyweight champion of the world and at the height of his career was a complete legend in the ring. His fights against George Foreman and Joe Frazier were some of the most hotly anticipated that have ever been in the world of boxing. But it’s not just Ali’s fantastic sporting achievements that we should admire and look up to – he was also a very generous philanthropist as well! In fact, he was such a great philanthropist, that he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. Sadly, Ali died in 2016 after suffering from Parkinson’s for his last couple of decades.
Bethany Hamilton
Of course, there are some sports people out there who have to overcome some very serious health conditions. Sometimes, disabilities or illnesses can completely sidetrack someone’s career, but there are others out there who are so strong that they are able to get their career right back on track. Just take Bethany Hamilton as an example. She grew up in Hawaii and her family were always very keen surfers. Unfortunately, though, Hamilton was viciously attacked by a shark at the age of 13. Thankfully, she managed to escape with her life, but she lost an arm in the attack. That didn’t stop Hamilton wanting to make a career for herself in the world of surfing, though. She managed to keep on surfing, despite her disability. Only two years after her devastating attack, she managed to compete in the Explorer Women’s Division of the NSSA National Championships. She came first in the whole competition and was able to tell her inspiring story to a wider audience as a result.
Hopefully, the athletes mentioned above can really inspire you to get out there and be a bit more active in your life. It’s never too late to start with sport – there’s still time to be a champion!
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