OT - your most impressive athletic achievements

Shortly after turning 13 I was throwing a consistent 88-91. Then it dropped to 60 and later on I found out I had thoracic outlet syndrome

resdubwhite said:

About 10.

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Well Chapeau for riding the Alpe. The switchbacks look interminable and must be really frustrating.

Brady_2_Moss said:

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt with Brown on the horizon

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That's a lot of years, a lot of time on the mats, a lot of bumps and bruises, and a lot of dedication. Blue in the gi here and train mostly no-gi. Massive hespect.

bormio said:

Cycling up Passo Stelvio in northern Italy (a 16 mile climb) in just over 2 hours. Not necessarily impressive, but spectacular.

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The Stelvio pass? Sheesh. Not the steapest but that's a long very tough climb. Fortunately I'm only a passive spectator of Pro cycling - I'd probably have a heart attack trying to do that. Whatever the Italian is for 'Hat's off'.

manxman2601 said:

The Stelvio pass? Sheesh. Not the steapest but that's a long very tough climb. Fortunately I'm only a passive spectator of Pro cycling - I'd probably have a heart attack trying to do that. Whatever the Italian is for 'Hat's off'.

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It was snowing the last 4K, on August 16th.

None, just average at all endeavors but as a sports fan I lived in Edmonton when the Warren Moon lead Eskimoes won 5 CFL Championships, the Oilers had Gretzky and Messier (5 Cups, big cups)... then I moved to Boston when the Red Sox and Patriots caught fire (even the Bruins and Celtics chipped in)

Pretty sweet deal,

Scored two goals in a beer league hockey championship game a few years ago, with a broken hand, and I do triathlons and alley cat bicycle racing at 49 years old, pretty proud of all three. Best part is my son does the triathlons too, and he loves beatin the old man. Good times. I tell him I let him win.

Way back in the summer of '79 our YMCA in Cranston somehow got Larry Bird to give a mini clinic (I have to assume during a break in training camp). At the end of the clinic he challenged every kid (one at a time) to a sudden-death one-on-one game, kid getting the ball first. These are 9-11 year-olds.

Anyhow, Bird being Bird he had no mercy for anyone in any sort of basketball competition and would reject everything, collect the ball, clear it, and nail jumpers for the win. No one even came close to winning. So when it was my turn I instead took two big steps backwards and flung up a 20-footer over him. Ball hit the rim, bounced a couple of times....and fell out. Larry wasn't risking any 2nd chances so he grabbed the rebound, immediately cleared it, and took it to the hoop and dunked it.

So that's my amazing athletic feat -- scaring Larry Bird into expending the effort to dunk the ball on an 11 year old .

Le Numéro Douze said:

Where did you play in Canada? East Coast guys generally play in the Q.

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When i was 14 my dad got a job in Toronto, I went there then played tier ii A hockey and then went to the O. I played tier II because you're still eligible for NCAA, but they have an education package in Canada that says every year you play major junior they will pay fo a year of school. I was never the best student and i think playing hockey and then going to school when that was done was a better fit for me. I was still on the Q draft list because Boston kids get drafted to the QMJHL not the OHL, but i wasn't drafted there so it wasn't an issue.

Played major junior for a couple of years, went to school, almost flunked out (was an academic probation), played overseas for a couple of years (which was an amazing experience, got paid peanuts), then went back to school a bit more focused. I don't know how these NCAA kids do sports and school.

The whole family ended up back in Boston, but as a coincidence i go back to Toronto for work often. I have to say that we have a huge hockey fan base here, but in Toronto it's just a part of their lifestyle.

Fun thread!

Not too athletic but I fenced in high school (in Mass) and college. Made it to the NCAA championships one year (64 qualified), fenced out of my mind, beating the nephew of a well known coach, and made it the next day (elimination round of 32). Came down with a brutal cold and that was as far as I went.

Also fenced in an the only international saber tourney in the USA (New York Open). Fencing wasn't big back then and it really was an open: show up pay your entry and fence. International points were at stake so the Olympic guys were there. Lost 5-3 to a member of the Hungarian team (top saber team at that time).

In gym class in 2007 I was playing basketball and hit a nothing but net hook shot from the 3 point line while shouting "SHEEEEED" cause Rasheed Wallace at that time was my fav player. The whole class was on the floor laughing cause I couldn't ever make the ball in the basket if you gave me a ladder. But it was awesome

I also intercepted my middle school bully's pass and ran it in for a TD to end class. Nobody cared but me. It was like 15 vs 15 in an indoor basketball court lol.

Our high school volleyball team also sucked ass and we were getting our asses beat by the number 1 team in the state and I was pissed I got called for a net so after I got whistled for it I slapped the net in frustration. Teammates told me just chill. And I said "I AM CHILL. WHEN I'M NOT CHILL ILL TEAR THE WHOLE FCKING NET DOWN." Yellow card. Sat for the rest of the game. Got a coach's award at the end of the season with that mentioned because it's apparently the most anyone cared about the game all season. Cant blame em, the whole team was mostly soccer players trying to stay in shape.


Ok thats it for me lol

I won a trip to the Caribbean for winning a big pool tournament - 9 ball.

The last 2 guys I beat were far superior players, but not that day.

Hey they have pool on ESPN... so it must be a sport.... lol

Only sport I played organized in was soccer. I was a good defender. Played in youth teams and one year in HS, but I really played mostly for local club teams.

Best memory I had was scoring a game winning header off a corner kick. I sucked at heading. I could clear the ball out of danger, but that's it. So in this particular corner, when mostly everyone charged to the ball, I came from the far corner and after a deflection it went straight to my head. Tucked it into the corner. Best feeling in the world is scoring a game winning goal.

My parents were pretty pushy, Mum was a track and swim coach and Dad wanted me to play soccer. When I was 8 I was signed up to a local pro teams academy as a GK this was a big deal in the UK. They would allow me to run track and Swim but not play rugby, which I really wanted to do as all my friends played. (I secretly tried out I was awful.) Mum pushed pretty hard as a swimmer Entered me in a 1500m comp at 12 expecting me to win as it was a 10-12 category. However the event happened the day after my 13th birthday so I was put in the 13-15 one. It was a national timed event rather than race meet I posted what would have won the 10-12 category comfortably finishing second in the 13-15 was so disappointed I pretty much zoned out of trying in swimming anymore. It was mums thing anyway.

Flash forward to being 16 I was 5'8 the Soccer team had an 18 y/o Dutch kid and 17 y/o 6'5 local kid on the books. I got on great with them but I decided it was time I stepped away. I signed up for the local football team, got stuck at RB was pretty good in our freshman year we made the semi finals in the playoff the next year we made the championship game, got destroyed by a team from London but scored more points past them than every other team that year combined. I went to a few summer camps and while competing for a spot on a team hurdled a guy on a punt return landed and blew out my ACL.

Recovered played some lower level football took a year out in 2015 to spend a summer chilling and surfing. Worked my tail off to try and make a comeback managed a 56 inch box jump which is the most athletic thing I have ever done. My comeback lasted no time, took the opening kick off 40 yards, team went 3 and out punted it to the 5 two plays later we got a safety and I was back out to return the kick. Got hit and shattered my Fib and tib. Still want to play but approaching 28 it's maybe time to think about maybe not playing competitive football.

Had a month when I had trials with Everton FC, Celtic FC, Burnley and Blackburn (all pro soccer clubs) and further trials lined up with Newcastle Utd, Leeds Utd and Millwall FC. But after the first batch of trials I tore my cruciate ligament and dislocated my kneecap playing for my school. Like an idiot. So that was that. Trained with a few semi pro teams in Ireland after that but my knee wasn't able for the demands and I was a bit scared of hurting it again, so it all fizzled out.

36-38 inch vertical leap in my prime

Legs developed from constant skiing/racing

Never played basketball even though 6'3" because I skied.....I could out dunk everyone on basketball team.....played volleyball in college and made for quite the middle hitter

I could also squat the back of my vw Jetta .... could hold both wheels off the ground for a long time

QuantumMechanic said:

Way back in the summer of '79 our YMCA in Cranston somehow got Larry Bird to give a mini clinic (I have to assume during a break in training camp). At the end of the clinic he challenged every kid (one at a time) to a sudden-death one-on-one game, kid getting the ball first. These are 9-11 year-olds.

Anyhow, Bird being Bird he had no mercy for anyone in any sort of basketball competition and would reject everything, collect the ball, clear it, and nail jumpers for the win. No one even came close to winning. So when it was my turn I instead took two big steps backwards and flung up a 20-footer over him. Ball hit the rim, bounced a couple of times....and fell out. Larry wasn't risking any 2nd chances so he grabbed the rebound, immediately cleared it, and took it to the hoop and dunked it.

So that's my amazing athletic feat -- scaring Larry Bird into expending the effort to dunk the ball on an 11 year old .

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Great story. That's Larry.

I was a hoopster and at camp in 1987. I was 16. Chris Ford was there for a day. In a scrimmage I had like 4 or 5 3s and was on complete fire. Anyway he singled me out and played "Round the World" from NBA 3 range. 5 shots...I got 2. He got 2. He was clearly annoyed he tied with a punk kid. Lol.

These guys are sooooo insecure.

SalemPats said:

When i was 14 my dad got a job in Toronto, I went there then played tier ii A hockey and then went to the O. I played tier II because you're still eligible for NCAA, but they have an education package in Canada that says every year you play major junior they will pay fo a year of school. I was never the best student and i think playing hockey and then going to school when that was done was a better fit for me. I was still on the Q draft list because Boston kids get drafted to the QMJHL not the OHL, but i wasn't drafted there so it wasn't an issue.

Played major junior for a couple of years, went to school, almost flunked out (was an academic probation), played overseas for a couple of years (which was an amazing experience, got paid peanuts), then went back to school a bit more focused. I don't know how these NCAA kids do sports and school.

The whole family ended up back in Boston, but as a coincidence i go back to Toronto for work often. I have to say that we have a huge hockey fan base here, but in Toronto it's just a part of their lifestyle.

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Awesome story, thank you very much man!