Stories Of Superhuman Endurance
Athleticism is more than just winning medals and breaking records, it's about pushing the human body to its limits. As the days get shorter, many of us are less willing to get out and exercise. Hopefully, these stories inspire you to get your body moving!
1. El Capitan Free Solo
By nature, free solo climbing takes rock climbing to the most extreme without any protective gear to keep climbers from a long fall. El Capitan in Yosemite is one of the most difficult climbs in the country. In combining those two, Alex Honnold did what nobody before him was brave enough to do.
2. Swimming From Florida To Cuba
While there is some controversy over Diana Nyad's 2013 swim from Key West to Cuba, Nyad's determination cannot be denied. It took Nyad five tries to swim the distance equivalent to five English Channels. Even more impressive is that Nyad was in her 60s!
3. Badwater Ultramarathon
By design, ultramarathons are for only the most extreme of athletes. Tracing from Death Valley to the Whitney Trailhead with temperatures that regularly exceed 115 °F, the Badwater Ultramarathon is the toughest of touch. Remarkably, Dean Karnazes completed it in just over a day.
Photographersnature on Wikimedia
4. Cycling Endurance Record
In just one calendar year, English cyclist Tommy Godwin pedaled over 20 miles a day for a total of 75,065 miles. For context, that's about three trips around the equator! Even more impressive is the fact that Godwin rode a bike with only 4 gears.
5. Balloon Jump
Anyone who skydives is automatically hardcore. Skydiving from a helium balloon in the stratosphere is a whole new level of hardcore! Felix Baumgartner broke the sound barrier during his 10 minute jump from a terrifying 24 miles in the air.
6. The Leap Of The Century
Beau Beamon may as well be a human kangaroo. In 1968, he set the world record with a long jump of nearly 29 feet, which remained unbroken for 23 years. As a bonus, he didn't even have the wind on his side.
7. A Sea Of Feathers
Randy Johnson may not have thrown the fastest fastball ever, but he did throw an unforgettable pitch in 2001. Going nearly 100 mph, Johnson's fastball obliterated a dove that was unlucky enough to fly by. Perhaps you can have too much of a good thing.
Jose Francisco Morales on Unsplash
8. The Korbut Flip
Olga Korbut may not have taken home gold for her 1972 uneven bars routine, but she redefined gymnastics forever. Korbut was just 17 when she first performed her iconic "dead loop" on uneven bars. Though the skill was banned, Korbut's daring helped transform gymnastics into one of the most popular sports in the world.
9. A Deep Freeze
We aren't sure if this counts as athleticism, but it's definitely a death-defying display! Nicknamed the "Iceman" Wim Hof is known for his pain tolerance and ability to withstand extreme cold. Some of his accomplishments include climbing part of Everest in shorts and running a half-marathon barefoot over the ice.
Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash
10. Swimming The Atlantic
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean can be perilous enough in a massive ocean liner—just ask the Titanic. Swimming the Atlantic is almost unthinkable. Yet, that's exactly what Benoît Lecomte did in 1998 to raise money for cancer research!
11. The First Quad
Doing three turns in any figure skating jump is enough to send anyone's head spinning. But four loops was believed to be impossible! That was until Kurt Browning did the first quad toe loop in 1988, setting a new precedent for skating.
12. The French Spider-Man
We've talked about free solo climbing already, but what about free solo urban climbing. Alain Robert isn't nicknamed "the French Spider-Man" for nothing. Among Robert's most famous urban climbs are the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, and Burj Khalifa.
13. Competing While Pregnant
Serena Williams is already one of the greatest athletes in the history of tennis. One thing that makes her more amazing is that she won the 2007 Australian Open while eight weeks pregnant! Fittingly, she named her daughter Olympia.
Guilherme Maggieri on Unsplash
14. A Perfect 10
Perfect 10s in gymnastics are rare, but not unheard of today. In 1976, 15-year-old Nadia Comăneci not only scored the first one ever, but she scored an additional six! The scoreboards weren't even programmed to display a perfect 10.
Eduardo Cano Photo Co. on Unsplash
15. Four Records In An Hour
Before Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, he set four world records in less an hour. Owens broke the records for long jump, 220-yard spring, and 220-yard hurdles and tied for the 100-yard dash. A year later, Owens humiliated the Nazis on their home turf, turning the myth of Aryan supremacy on its head.
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16. Marathon Of Hope
Forget running just one marathon, Terry Fox decided to run from one end of Canada to the other with a prosthetic leg. Diagnosed with osteosarcoma, Fox ran until his body literally gave out. While Fox never completed his Marathon of Hope, memorial runs are held to raise money for cancer research each year in Fox's honor.
17. A 15-Shot Margin
Nowadays, Tiger Woods is remembered more for his cheating scandal than he is for his unmatched golf prowess. At the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Woods not only defeated the competition but he crushed it. He had 15 shots on the next best golfer.
18. 2008 Swimming Sweep
With 28 medals under his belt, Michael Phelps is the most decorated athlete of all time. 8 of those gold medals were won at the 2008 Olympics! From Phelps' long arms to his incredible lung capacity, every part of him seems destined for aquatic greatness.
19. Secretariat's Miracle Mile
Non-human athletes deserve their flowers too! Or, oats in this case. Secretariat still holds the record for the American Triple Crown half a century after his legendary race. 15 million Americans tuned in to watch his astonishing performance at the 1973 Belmont Stakes.
20. Triple Double
Usain Bolt just might be the greatest athlete to have ever lived. The fastest human in recorded history, Bolt took things to the next level with his "triple-double" at the 2012 London Olympics. Amazingly, he manages to be so fast despite having flat feet.
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