Often when we think about professional athletes we think of indestructible, infallible humanoids who execute their goals with cyborg-like precision. They’re masters of everything and students of nothing - all-knowing and forever succeeding.
In reality, athletes are just as fallible as the rest of us. Learning new skills involves hard-won lessons, no matter who you are. It takes courage to throw yourself into something new, I’d argue that it takes some serious grit to do that with the world watching you - expecting immediate perfection because your profession usually demands it.
We’re familiar with the stories of accomplished climbers transitioning out of climbing (paragliding, anyone?), but what’s it like to break in?
In this reflective piece, professional
