Influential Athletes of Today
- Serena Willaims
- Tom Brady
- Lebron James
- Michael Phelps
- Colin Kaepernick
Influential athletes surround our daily lives in various ways. From being on a television commercial advertising soda or appearing on a billboard promoting a shoe brand, exposure to athletes is almost unavoidable from day to day life. Many of us live vicariously through athletes, aspiring to accomplish high goals just like them. Some of these athletes truly have reached the pinnacle of being able to deliver a powerful message to everyday people.
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Serena Williams
This perennial tennis champion is a strong figure for young female athletes. Serena Williams demonstrates an undying attitude for achieving success in woman’s sports. She’s much more than just an outstanding athlete, as she is a pioneer in being a voice for body image issues. Serena shows beauty can come in all sizes and to have confidence in yourself. As a strong promoter for women everywhere, Serena Williams is one of the top female influential athletes of today. She continues to dominate the game of tennis showing that women can also be all-time greats in their sport.
Tom Brady
Perhaps the greatest of all time, the “goat”, Tom Brady has been the face of the NFL for more than 15 years. As a player drafted in the six round of the NFL draft, nobody ever expected Tom to ever reach the pinnacle of football success. He continues to amaze football fans with his seemingly ageless ability. Although he has had a recent Super Bowl loss, he still produced a staggering 500 yard pass game. Showing that success that can be achieved with hard work and true dedication, Tom Brady is certainly an influential athlete that people of all ages can aspire to be like.
Lebron James
How can one man take an entire city from love to hate and back to love again? Lebron James has done just that. When Lebron made the “decision” back in 2010, he truly left the entire city of Cleveland devastated. Loyal fans immediately turned their backs on the superstar and some even burned his sports jersey. But when Cleveland’s savior returned four years later, all was forgotten. He even helped the team overcome all the odds and win an NBA championship. He’s worth a valuable monetary asset to the city as well. In fact, according to Time Magazine, Lebron’s return to Cleveland in 2014 was worth millions to the city. Talk about an influential athlete!
Michael Phelps
Was anyone actually interested in swimming before Michael Phelps came around? This tremendous athlete is associated with gold medal success in the Olympics. Truly being superior in the sport, Phelps changed the sport of swimming forever. He has helped give young athletes more confidence in choosing swimming early in their lives. In fact, according to USA Swimming, both girls and boys showed an increase of interest in the sport once Phelps became popular in the swimming world. He is an influential athlete for young adolescents across the United States.
Colin Kaepernick
Nobody ever said being an influential athlete comes without controversy. Colin Kaepernick has changed the NFL profoundly. Something seemingly harmless as standing to sing the National Anthem has created division among many. Whether people view him as a hero or a villain, Kaepernick still makes an impact on the game of football even though he is not currently active on an NFL roster. Other players are now following his lead and you might even see this same type of action in other sports as well.
We are affected by athletes every day of our lives. These influential athletes have truly changed their prospective sports making a profound impact on the world.
