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One of the most incredible aspects of sport is the transformation it brings to your body with time. Even the most unathletic, doughy kids can eventually become statuesque, chiseled figures like ancient Greek gods or goddesses after years of dedicated training in any sport, whether it’s on the field, court, or playing Ultimate Frisbee.
Yet, there are many elite athletes who don’t fit the stereotypical image of a sports icon—some top-tier athletes just look…different. From an MMA fighter who could easily walk the runways in Paris to a Sumo wrestler who seems more suited for a desk job at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company (or Wernham Hogg, if you're across the pond), these remarkable athletes prove you don’t have to resemble a gym enthusiast to make a major impact in sports.
No matter your age, size, or shape, sports are for everyone.
10. John Daly – Golf
John Daly has triumphed in prestigious golf tournaments around the world. He’s a PGA champion and took home the Open title from the iconic St. Andrews course, often considered the birthplace of golf. Known as “Long John” for his towering drives and never-ending backswing, Daly is nothing short of a legend. But that’s not all…
He’s also famous for not looking like someone who would even know the way to the nearest golf course. More of a Silver Bullet kind of guy than a member of the Sand Hills Golf Club. That’s the thing about John Daly—he doesn’t conform. Golf has a long-standing dress code and conduct rules, and it’s a sport often associated with “the right kind” of people. Daly is far from fitting that mold—his history includes struggles with alcoholism, gambling, multiple marriages, and legal entanglements. He’s the kind of guy most golf clubs would use as an example of who not to let in.
Luckily, all that pretentious nonsense doesn’t matter when you’re as skilled at golf as John Daly is. With a defiant attitude toward the traditional golf establishment, it’s a thrill to watch Long John drive a ball 300 yards down the fairway. What some call rough behavior is precisely what golf often needs—entertainment.
9. Danny Craven – Australian Rules Football
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Football, or soccer as it’s called in some parts of the world, is often referred to as 'the beautiful game.' Australian football, on the other hand… well, check out the video. Given the physicality of the sport, Danny Craven's career is even more remarkable. You might think that only towering giants, 203 cm (6’8”) tall, built like robots with titanium frames, and powered by plutonium could excel in this brutal game. But Danny Craven, who played for the St. Kilda Saints during the late '80s and early '90s, proved otherwise. He stood just under 160 cm (5’3”) tall. For many Aussie Rules players, facing him was like going up against a fast, fierce child who could easily knock your teeth out if you crossed him.
After suffering a broken leg in 1989, Craven fought through the injury and continued to play for five more years, wrapping up his professional career with the Brisbane Bears in 1995. He then transitioned to coaching and is currently a commentator for NIRS (National Indigenous Radio Service).
1. Pavel Bojar (Takanoyama Shuntarō) – Sumo
Many non-Japanese athletes have taken on the ancient sport of Sumo, and numerous Mongolians have been particularly successful. Today, rikishi also come from countries like Brazil, Bulgaria, and Georgia (not to be confused with the U.S. state, where Rick Grimes is from). Akebono Tarō (known as Chadwick Haheo Rown) from Hawaii became the first non-Japanese Yokozuna, the top rank in Sumo.
Many of these foreign sumo wrestlers share a similar look—they seem to fit the image of a sumo wrestler. However, one stands out… unless he's next to an opponent who is taller and broader, thus making it hard to see him clearly.
Pavel Bojar, a competitor from the Czech Republic, participated in the top sumo tournaments from 2004 to 2014, steadily rising through the ranks. By 2011, he reached the Makkuchi division (the highest level in sumo), where he faced off against some of the greatest wrestlers in the sport. But you'd never guess this from his appearance. Pavel resembled more of a civil servant from a Monty Python sketch than a sumo wrestler.
Despite his appearance, Pavel was no slouch, earning numerous victories against larger and more experienced opponents. The strength packed into his relatively small frame must have been extraordinary, considering he could lift 25+ stones (350 pounds) of sweaty flesh into the air (or onto unsuspecting front-row spectators). Pavel, we salute you—but please don’t salute back. We suspect you might have no discs left in your back.
7. Diana Nyad
There are a few remarkable things about Diana Nyad. First, she has raised significant funds for charity, including over $100,000 for the victims of Hurricane Sandy in 2013. Second, her remarkable achievements in long-distance swimming are truly exceptional, all while never receiving recognition from an official sports body.
In 1975, she swam all the way around Manhattan Island, and in 1979, she set a world record by swimming 102 miles in open water, a feat unmatched by both women and men at the time. Later, in 2013, she swam for an astounding 52 hours, making the trek from Cuba to Key West, Florida. As of this article, she also completed an oceanic feat at the age of 64—without a shark cage. Watching this energetic and healthy grandmother conquer the ocean with minimal assistance is nothing short of inspiring. This is probably one of the reasons she’s a TED Talk speaker...
6. Johanna Quaas – Gymnastics
Diana Nyad has accomplished an impressive array of achievements at an age that many would consider advanced. But she has nothing on the next person in line. Johanna Quaas, known as 'Turn-Oma' (Gymnastics Grandma) in Germany, is more fittingly called the 'Gymnastics Great-Grandma'. Johanna holds a Guinness World Record as the oldest competitive gymnast.
At 86 years old in 2012, Johanna set this record while competing in the Senior Games in Saxony. Her incredible resilience and strength continue to be a testament to her remarkable spirit.
In 2016, Johanna achieved a long-held dream of skydiving, completing a 2,926-meter (9,600-foot) jump with her tandem partner, Eberhard Gienger, a former German gymnast and Olympic silver medalist. Now 96 years old, she’s still alive and kicking—probably higher than anyone else her age.
5. Peter Crouch – Football
When you think of elite footballers, terms like 'perfectly sculpted,' 'bronzed,' and 'svelte' often come to mind, with Cristiano Ronaldo standing as the prime example (or at least, that’s the common belief).
However, these aren’t exactly the words that come to mind when thinking of former England striker Peter Crouch. In his prime, 'Crouchy' was known for scoring goals effortlessly, racking up a remarkable 22 goals in just 42 international appearances. And this is all the more impressive when you remember that his appearance was often compared to a mix of Roald Dahl’s *Big Friendly Giant* and a gangly teen from the Channel 4 sitcom *The Inbetweeners*. Every time he leapt high to meet the ball with his head, fans could never tell if he was about to score or whether his slender frame might snap.
Putting the jokes aside, fans in Britain often focus more on Peter Crouch’s personality than his actual career. He’s known for being witty, humorous, and the kind of person anyone would be delighted to have a pint with. As a player, he was an exceptional talent—often underrated and not given the credit he deserved as a goal scorer.
4. Andrew Millward – Rugby Union
Looking at Andrew Millward, the former COO of the Ospreys rugby team in South Wales, you might think, 'Yeah, he probably played a bit of rugby, a long time ago, for his local club.' And you’d be right—he did. Later, he even played professionally for a bigger team. However, the thing is, Andrew Millward always looked like a 'former' rugby player, even while still actively playing. In fact, he's probably looked like a 'former' rugby player since birth. But this doesn’t mean he wasn’t a great player; on the contrary, he was exceptional.
Joey Tribbiani from the sitcom Friends once told Ross Geller (who wanted to impress his English girlfriend by joining a rugby match) that a 'scrum is kind of like a huddle.'
No. No, it isn’t.
In rugby, a scrum consists of 16 extremely large men from two opposing teams, locking arms and pushing against each other with all their strength. It’s as close as we get to a medieval shield wall battle in the modern world. The front row of the scrum (made up of two props and a hooker—yes, you can stop laughing now) is where all the 'dark arts' happen. The tactics, dirty tricks, and outright violence at the front of a scrum are legendary, even beyond the sport itself. Andrew was a warrior in this very arena, a tough, compact powerhouse who couldn’t be moved by bigger, heavier opponents. This earned him folk-hero status at his former club, Neath RFC.
And just to answer the question you’re probably thinking right now: Rambo: First Blood is his favorite movie.
3. Rose Namajunas – MMA
A persistent misconception about women in society is that the 'prettier' a woman is, the less likely she is to work. While there may be some outdated truth to this idea, it has mostly been rejected in today's world. There's also a more stubborn belief that the more attractive a woman is, the less likely she is to excel in sports, especially in traditionally male-dominated combat sports. Rose 'Thug Rose' Namajunas has proven this stereotype to be false.
With what MMA and podcasting icon Joe Rogan refers to as a 'supermodel face,' one might assume Rose could have found fame posing in front of cameras, dressed scantily. But Rose Namajunas took a different path. She's one of the toughest, most disciplined, and most relentless fighters in mixed martial arts history. With unmatched determination, heart, and the striking power to knock out even the toughest opponents, Thug Rose is possibly the most dangerous natural beauty in the sport. But don't let her looks fool you; she could easily crush you like an insect.
2. Bill Lee – Baseball
Hippies often get a bad reputation—lazy, pot-smoking dreamers, with the exception of those who follow figures like Charles Manson and seek to hasten an apocalypse by committing murders. But Bill Lee, the 'Spaceman' of baseball, broke the mold. Lee wasn’t your typical 'All-American' athlete. A left-handed 'eephus' pitcher, which he famously called the 'Leephus pitch,' he was known for his praise of Maoist China, advocating for population control, and smoking more weed than most could fathom. When asked about mandatory drug testing, he once gave a legendary response:
“I’ve tried just about all of them, but I wouldn’t want to make it mandatory.”
Bill Lee, the Spaceman, had a legendary career as a pitcher for both the Boston Red Sox and the Montreal Expos in the 1970s. Despite lacking a powerful fastball, he compensated with a wide range of creative and unpredictable pitches. But he wasn’t just great on the mound; he was also a master of banter. Whether it was with fans, officials, teammates, or opposing players, Lee didn’t hesitate to speak his mind. Outside of the game, this laid-back hippie had a relaxed vibe, but once he stepped onto the field, he was a fierce competitor—almost like a pit bull let loose. Known for his eccentric personality, Lee seemed like he’d be more at home in a commune in the Nevada desert, but he could pitch like no other. And bizarrely, he was really good at it.
1. Donna Vano – Snowboarding
Extreme sports are some of the most physically demanding and hazardous activities out there. Whether it’s the thrill-seekers scaling sheer rock faces without safety gear or those who don wingsuits and soar through the air, the danger is real. Even something as seemingly innocent as a 10-year-old on a razor scooter taking on a halfpipe can hold a high risk of injury. Snowboarding definitely ranks as one of the most intense and perilous sports, sitting squarely on the ‘Jesus wept, this is so dangerous’ scale.
Donna Vano, at 56 years old, is one of the most impressive athletes in snowboarding, reaching the peak of her sport. Watching her perform is like seeing a 'soccer mom' tearing up the slopes, an image that would usually require a few glasses of Chardonnay to believe.
Donna holds three Guinness World Records and has earned the most gold medals in the U.S. America Snowboarding Association, covering all five disciplines. Extreme sports are typically dominated by youth—except when it comes to Donna Vano.
