A client of mine stated that all professional athletes are “a”holes who do nothing but go clubbing, embarrassing their sport & country by fighting, behaving arrogantly, drinking excessively, etc.
I said while a bunch of them do, that I disagreed with his global statement. He then challenged me to name 3 champion level tough-guys (in any sport) that I’d be proud to have as either a brother, father or kid.
I came up with 10 and could have found more! The lesson for all of us is this, being tough... being great in any sport... being a Champion is awesome. Just remember, it's how you treat people once you have the money & resources that really matters.
To be blunt, any fighter, football, basketball or baseball player is just one serious illness or one car accident away from not being tough anymore. So, don't be a jerk! Be nice! :-)
Here's my list of 10 great champions & role models in alphabetical order:
1. Alexey Voevoda - Russia - Arm Wrestling & Bobsledding
2. Cung Le - USA - Mixed Martial Arts; Kick Boxing
3. Fedor Emelianenko - Russia - Mixed Martial Arts
4. Georges St. Pierre - Canada - Mixed Martial Arts
5. John Brzenk - USA - Arm Wrestling
6. Jon Pall Sigmarsson - Iceland - Worlds Strongest Man
7. Junior Dos Santos - Brazil - Mixed Martial Arts
8. Lyoto Machida - Brazil - Mixed Martial Arts
9. Rich Franklin - USA - Mixed Martial Arts
10. Wladimir Klitschko - Ukraine - Boxing
Have a great day!
Brian K. Allen, Director
International Security Training, LLC
