claire said:
I thought this was a great article on some of the challenges a figure competitor goes through. I am not a figure competitor but I respect their hardwork and dedication. I consider them athletes.
http://www.musclewithattitude.com/readTopicMwa.do?id=1516819
I wrote an article on a figure competitor for T-Nation, and it got more replies than any article for the site, ever:
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1132766
And after that there was a flurry of womens' articles on the site...all lame as hell, and a figure forum...again, lame as hell. But I agree with you, in part...some figure girls (Rosanne Clemente, who I wrote my article on) are athletes. Others aren't. It's attitude...I don't know how else to explain it.
This weekend, the collegiate rugby team I coach lost a game by a couple of points to a first division mens club...just to be able to compete at that level, with only a couple of years of training is remarkable. I told them that they accomplished something great by just being able to hold their own, in their early 20's, against guys who have been playing for a decade...is a huge accomplishment. A sophomore on the team said that it's all bullshit....a loss is a loss, and fuck anyone who thinks otherwise.
To me, that's an athlete. All that shit about "competing against yourself" is loser-talk. I don't know how else to explain it...but that attitude makes an athlete, in my eyes.
Another point: I worked with a girl who wanted to win her class and the overall at this particular show. She won her class. Then she wanted to enter 2 more, to compete, to see how she did, to have fun. I told her "good luck" and didn't work with her for those shows. She placed progressively worse in each one. Without the winning attitude, you're not an athlete, and I don't want any part of that.
The kids I coach (rugby) are all athletes. We have a 90% winning record over the years I've been head coach. Prior to that it was under 50%. I don't know how else to explain what an athlete is...but it's along these lines...
I dunno...some people will understand what I'm saying, others won't, I guess.