Achievements are a great source of motivation in life, and sports are no exception. When a personal goal is achieved, we can’t help it but feel good as well as motivated to keep bursting through many more. Whether it’s running a few extra miles, throwing a couple more pounds on that bar, completing an achievement produces an awesome sensation; we can’t get enough of that “hell yeah!” feeling when hard work pays off.
Athletes use goals and achievements to gain motivation and measure their progress. We’ve brought you a list of 5 people who took achievements to a whole new level:
- Oldest Runner to Complete a 100 Meter Dash
Ida Keeling is the current holder of the world record in the 100 meter dash of the senior category. The twist?She obtained this title during the 2016 Penn Relay in Philadelphia, being 100 years old, after killing 100 meters in 1:17. She didn’t stop there though, Keeling decided to celebrate by performing a set of push-ups.
One would normally think performing that feat at such an age would require a lifetime of preparation, but Ida had never practiced running before the age of 67. How’s that for senior running?
- Heaviest Leg Press
Chances are that every gym fanatic has heard of the almighty Ronnie Coleman before. For those who haven’t, let us warn you that leg day will never be the same after knowing this.
He’s one of the most outstanding bodybuilders–and the current holder of the world record for the heaviest leg press at a ridiculous 2300 pounds. Oh, and did we forget to mention that he performed 8 continuous repetitions with that weight?
Turns out Coleman wasn’t even aware at the moment of himself setting a new world record. As shared through his social media, he was aiming to burst his personal record.
- Longest Kick Return
During the Super Bowl XXXI, the Patriots got the upper hand on the Packers in the third quarter with a devastating touchdown. Desmond Howard, a Packers’ kick return specialist, decided to return the favor with a 99 yard return.
The Patriots grossly underestimated Howard’s running skills, which at the end of the third quarter had hit them just about as hard as an armored tank. Desmond took advantage of this and he gave them the “V” for Vendetta.
- Longest Tennis Match
Many things can happen in a tennis court. When we say many things, we include the possibility of an 11 hour long game. John Isner and Nicolas Mahut concreted what is the longest tennis match ever, up to the present (and probably many more years).
This one hell of a match was an epic back and forth session. Despite tennis being a sport based on skill, the chances of a match lasting 11 hours are extremely low. Sure, it can happen; just like a person could flip a coin 50 times with the same result–just don’t hold your breath.
I think that somewhere in the audience, there was a poor soul who was told to accompany someone to a “quick tennis game”.
- Most Consecutive Games Played in MLB
Dedication is one thing, and then you have Cal Ripken Jr., current (and indefinite) holder of the record for most consecutive games ever played in Major League Baseball. Since the moment Ripken Jr. entered MLB, he didn’t miss a single game for 17 years. Not bad for a starting job, right?
Well, turns out he managed to rack up 2632 consecutive baseball games. But hey, we’re not talking about that one bench kid who always assists in hopes of getting a chance to get struck out.
Cal Ripken Jr. was selected 19 times as an All-Star player. Let’s be realistic, when will we ever get the chance of seeing someone that good, for that long? Baseball fans consider Ripken Jr. to be one of those weird asteroids that crosses Earth once every 200 years.
Author’s Bio:
Dan Chabert – a millennial born to run and write. During his free time, Dan is a regular contributor to several online publications and manages these websites, Runnerclick.com, Nicershoes.com and Monica’s Health Magazine.