Can a rich kid become an elite distance runner?

How about wejo and rojo? They've never had to sweat anything.

Are you not adding to my point? Didn't they quit when it became time to work hard?[/quote]

I actually think that the brothers Johnson not only quit track because the work was too hard, but that they set up this site in their passive aggressive attack on athletes that they could not beat.

Why would anyone set up a system that encourages people to take pot shots, rumors and lies at athletes.

Why would anyone set up a system that encourages people to take pot shots, rumors and lies at athletes.[/quote]

Good question!

It appears that if one hears something three times, it must be true. If one tells the same lie five times, even they believe it. Wejo/Rojo allow the lies to continue and only stop the lies that are attributed to them. I have tried to stop some items on threads with no good results.

jorvack wrote:

Seb Coe?

Seb Coe was not rich growing up, he lived in a working class county in a middle class family. He became rich through his running career/sponsorships/fame/connections he made from his fame, etc.

To be the best of the best you need to spend your days working out, eating, and sleeping. Seems like being rich is a good fit with that lifestyle.

Can you have the fire if you are rich? I don't see why not. Would most people feel like they had too many other more attractive choices about how to spend their time? Maybe.

nh native wrote:

Bannister was not a rich kid. I think it said in the perfect mile that his dad was a salesman or newspaperman or something. I forget.

he's a sir because he was knighted for his work in neuroscience. it's not like he's the son of a baron or something.

Bannister resisted knighthood for years and finally agreed to it only if he was recognized for his entire life's work including his athletic achievements, his work to organize and promote British athletics as a whole, and his efforts as a doctor. He was not knighted for any one achievement.

That guy in Chariots of Fire who won a silver medal in the 1924 Olympics was rich - he was a Lord I think. Lord Lindsay? Put champange on the hurdles so he wouldn't knock them over during practice.

What about Wejo's fam?

Alan

bump

asdfghj wrote:

rupp was loaded

Not sure why everyone seems to believe this. Hurting for money? No. Loaded? No. The Rupp family is not rich unless you consider upper middle class to be rich.

poor boy wrote:

I think adversity in your life can help you be a better runner. For example, if a kid doesn't have many friends, they can turn to running as an escape. Kids that are in really troubled positions, such as a bad family life, use running as an escape even more. The pain of training is the only thing they control, so they immerse themselves in it. So to your question, rich kids generally have less adversity, so they don't train as hard as often.

I think you are on to something here. It is not so much about whether a person has money or not, but whether or not that person has adversity. Distance running is a tough sport with most of the reward being personal satisfaction. In general, a rich kid probably just isn't going to have the drive and desire to excel (though there are certainly exceptions). However, there are many reasons a wealthy kid may face adversity, such as you mentioned. I was, as you mentioned, somewhat of a socially awkward individual in High School, and found running to be a great escape. Had I fit in better, I really doubt I would have cared about running at all. Everyone runs for a different reason, gets something different out of it, but all share the common bond of suffering through workouts to get better. That is what makes it such a great sport. Wow, that got pretty off topic.

All the fellows of independent means that I associate with would rather be at the Drones than participating in althletics.