Sporting Hell

Most of us at some time in our lives had the ambition to be a top class professional sportsman or woman. We have looked enviously at the great lifestyles seemingly enjoyed by our heroes. Note for my readers I use the masculine term but of course I refer to sports persons of either sex, for every Bradley Wiggins there is a Rebecca Aldington. I have been thinking about this in the light of some evidence from a couple of very different sports.

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday, one of the high points of the US sporting year. I well remember the only time I was in the US when this took place the amazing hype surrounding this and indeed the huge amount of pizza that my son and I ordered mistakenly due to a misinterpreting a special offer. Well yesterday the New England quarter back, Tom Brady was MVP (Man of the Match) to my British readers. It just so happened that my son sent me a link to an in depth New York Times article about Brady. This was a behind the scenes look at his lifestyle. Well as you might imagine everything about Brady’s lifestyle is extremely controlled. His diet seems to comprise largely of bizarre shakes, he also has almost constant “medical” attention in the form of controlled massage and exercises. You must add to this the rigorous practice regime that he must follow.

Sometime ago I read about Novak Djokovic’s lifestyle and what he does to keep at the top of the tennis circuit. His whole schedule is tightly controlled, as a tennis player he does an incredible amount of practice and gym work. His diet is also strictly controlled and again seems to be mostly shakes. Compared to Brady he also undertakes a huge amount of global travel between tournaments. Add to that a season that is almost year round.

Although both athletes do not take illegal stimulants, they take dietary supplements that push the drug envelope to the maximum. Who knows what the long-term effects of these are on the body. Also both issues have very small entourages that surround them, they have to live within a very controlled hermetically sealed bubble.

I am guessing that this lifestyle choice is typical of top sportsman in many fields. We know that the rewards at this level are huge and when you read of the consequences of being a sporting superstar it starts to seem well earnt. I certainly do not envy these superstars their lifestyle; it is probably really hard work. Still it would still be great to score the winning goal for England at the World Cup Final!