At long last, SFUA is upon us. Thanks to the vision of Yves Garceau and others, sport has taken a giant step forward, and a new type of athlete will emerge.
There is “Ultimate”, and there is “Great.” We have seen the greatest; those who excel in long established disciplines in which competition is fierce and tradition is rich. Jordan, Gretzky, Nash, Naish, Armstrong, Gabreselassie, Federer, Bolt, Woods; these incomparable athletes competed against fellow phenoms and took it to another level, capturing the world’s attention in doing so. “Ultimate” is, by definition, “incapable of further separation.” Ultimate fighters can no longer be separated by styles, and must draw on a number of disciplines to defeat their opponent. But are they “greater” than Ali?
The Ultimate Athlete, by definition, is the victor of a multi-sport athletic event to be held in Oregon next summer, nothing more, nothing less. Whether greatness emerges, time will tell.
That being said, The Ultimate Athlete will need to be a specimen in his/her own right. This event requires a rare combination of speed, stamina, endurance, power, skill, courage, and, let’s face it, an upbringing that exposed the competitor to a myriad of athletic opportunities. However, there are important athletic traits that this competition ostensibly won’t be able to measure either, such as play making ability and court/field vision, which, to me, are the hallmarks of an exceptional competitor.
Those who truly “get” this concept, REJOICE! One who does get it can be seen at:
Let the games, races, rounds, passes, attempts begin!
