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Slater & Schumacher: What Motivates Them?
Written By Ollie on Feb. 14, 2007.
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Interestingly, two sports I enjoy have been running some kind of parallel in recent years, each having a stand out star dominating the sport - Surfing and Motor Racing.
Michael Schumacher has pretty much ruled Formula One for the past decade, taking 7 world championships and breaking just about every record in the book. Schumacher rewrote the rule book (at times, almost literally), in particular the levels of fitness and dedication it takes to rise to the top of the game.
Kelly Slater has dominated the world of surfing in a similar trend, winning himself 8 titles to date and redefining what it takes to be a top surfer. Slater has helped push surfing to new areas, improved global recognition of the competition side of the sport, and also pushed the limits of his own fitness and dedication, mirroring Schumacher's efforts on four wheels.
Schumacher retired from competition driving in F1 at the end of last season, while Slater continues, having qualified for the 2007 Tour.
I guess my question is: What motivates people to keep on going, even when the goal has been achieved many times over and there is little doubt left of your ability? Would you have retired, or would you continue?
thesurfer
Written Oct. 22, 2007 / Report /
What else is Slater going to do? He might as well keep surfing on the tour. He doesn't do it for the money cos he's loaded already.
costanzo
Written Jan. 8, 2008 / Report /
Well first of all, I would continue. As long as I had the drive to do so that is.
But what usually motvates people is to be number one, with schmuacher and slater they have already achieved this (several times actually).
Personally, I believe that they want to make records and make them as hard as possible for others to break. This ensures that they will remain in the history books and thus confirming their status as trurly great.
Let's take Michael Johnson (200m & 400m WR holder) for example, his records have not been broken for 20 years now and he is considered legendary up to this day. His records seem unlikely to be broken in the near future. Although Tyson Gay and Jeremy Warriner are getting close.
What motivates these people, it's just being the best and being remembered as a truly great athlete throughout history.