Smiling widely from the podium while brandishing a gold medal or wielding a championship trophy, athletes are viewed as our society’s superheroes whose victories can seem fantastic and their physical fitness level to be unattainable.
But aside from the exhilarating games and the countless medals and trophies, what hardships did they have to face, what sacrifices did they have to make, and what failures did they have to cope with in order to get to where they are today?
So, what better way to get to know these athletes’ journeys than to see their life stories unfold on the big screen?
Here are some movie recommendations that I found to be both entertaining and inspiring.
King Richard (2021)
“King Richard” centers on Richard Williams, father to tennis-superstar sisters Venus and Serena Williams. Richard dreams of an illustrious and successful tennis career for his two daughters. As such, he writes a 78-step plan to stardom. The man is confident in his daughters’ abilities, going as far as saying that they are the next two Michael Jordans of tennis. The film follows the family from their humble beginnings in Compton, California, to Venus’ entrance into the professional tennis world. It portrays all the ups and downs that the family endured, ranging from financial burdens to discrimination in a predominantly white sport to the pressure that young athletes face when they go professional.
American Underdog (2021)
This biopic focuses on the trials and tribulations of Kurt Warner, two-time National Football League (NFL) MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback. Too old to be drafted into the NFL, a professional football career is but a mere fantasy as Warner struggles to make ends meet by working at a local grocery store. As disaster hits his loved ones, Warner realizes that worldly achievements and material gains are nothing compared to the people around him and the faithfulness of God in their lives. After finally being content with his family and his life, Warner gets the opportunity of a lifetime and finally attains his dream. “American Underdog” is ultimately a film about trusting in God’s plan and getting back up again even after life punches you in the gut.
Cool Runnings (1993)
A comedy to enjoy on a Friday night with your family, “Cool Runnings” is both hilarious and uplifting. Derice, Sanka, Junior, and Yul are four Jamaicans who dream of making it to the Olympics. But when they fail to qualify for the 100-meter dash in the Summer Olympics, an opportunity to form Jamaica’s first bobsled team presents itself. Knowing little to nothing about bobsledding, the four recruit the help of a former bobsledding Olympian to train them for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Besides the obvious challenge of living in a tropical climate and never having ever seen snow, the team will have to overcome doubts and ridicule from their peers, all while proving that teamwork does, in fact, make the dream work.
Whether it’s watching a heartfelt biopic or a witty comedy, movies provide a place of solace and entertainment from the hustle and bustle of life.
Seeing ourselves in these accomplished athletes and realizing that they too lived a life full of highs and lows make their successes and wins reachable for us regular individuals. They inspire us to also dream big and work hard to fulfill our goals.
Athletes may not be indestructible, but that’s what makes them human and, perhaps, even more super than how the movies depict heroes to be.
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