Originally Posted By: CaT
As one example of many, what about the Olympics? Most of the participants there are in their teens. In some Olympic sports, 16, for example, is considered "old". There is risk in any of those sports, yet we cheer them on precisely because we laud their courage and will power (backed by a whole lot of advance preparation -- as is also true with Everest and solo circumnavigations) to compete and maybe win (or at least complete the event and do well). Why should mountain climbing (even Everest) be any different? Different goal; different set of risks.


CaT, you're defintely right about the age average in some individual sports such as gymnastics and swimming, and certainly in the Xtreme sports. Even some of the team sports see high-school age kids come in and make an immediate impact without going through the college ranks (where allowed). Basketball is the most noticeable, with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and LeBron James each being selected #1 overall in the draft out of high school at age 17 or 18. Happens in baseball a fair amount too, although it tends to be with pitchers usually.

Sixteen and seventeen YO phenoms are not all that rare nowdays, but I can't place even a fifteen YO phenom in any sport other than gymnastics, swimming or the Xtreme stuff (tennis maybe?), let alone a thirteen YO. Are there any? At least in anything other than chess? I'm drawing a blank. I think that just illustrates what a tremendous thing Jordan has accomplished - and in what is arguably the most expensive individual "sport" on the planet (yachting and racing are team sports, right?). I can't think of another where you spend thousands getting to/from the competition site on your own dime, more thousands for gear and equipment each time out of the chute, and then happily forking over more tens of thousands to your host for the privilege of being allowed to possibly die (priceless). Thank God for sponsors and financially secure parents! smile

And that last line got me to pondering: is climbing/hiking the deadliest, most dangerous sport/recreation there is? Might be worth looking into. Nah - my wife would just get uptight.


Last edited by Bulldog34; 05/23/10 06:19 PM. Reason: Last thought