Why are the underdog stories so good?
There is always that one kid from our town, who maybe went to school with your cousin. He was a jock. But he was never the best on the team, he was never the first pick, and maybe he didn’t get the sponsorship, but he kept trying. And you are rooting for him to finally crack into the elites. Skill and will are the game changers. And when he shows up against an
opponent that has beaten him a couple of times already, and he wins, it sends us on an emotional rollercoaster of disbelief and joy. These stories give us hope that we can all stand up and fight against injustice, aggression, bullying, and racism. That’s why we all love underdogs and their stories.
The underdog stories
An athlete is a person with special talent, who works on their craft day and night, chisling their craft, training obsessively and fanatically. Most of them will not get their Hollywood movie, or a book written about them. They are a regular, everyday man’s personal hero. Here are 5 stories that we liked:
● Bryce ‘Thug Nasty’ Mitchell
It’s a story of a cattle farmer from Arkansas. But he is also a mixed martial arts artist, and he fights in the UFC. His career seemed to have an upward route in the Featherweight category, with a record of 15 to 0. Up until December 23rd, 2023. He suffered the defeat against Jos Emmet, by knockout. In his moments of anger and disappointment, he even talked about retirement. He took a hiatus and returned to his farm to recover with his family.
● Valentina ‘Bullet’ Shevchenko
She is a professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter. She was born into a family of successful sportspeople, so she naturally followed in their footsteps. At age 12, she knocked out a 22 year old opponent in kickboxing, and earned her nickname ‘Bullet’. When she started to fight in the UFC in 2010, her first fight was a loss, when doctors decided to stop a fight after an illegal upkick from which she suffered a bad cut. It took her three years to return to fighting in the UFC.
● Joe Montana
Are you a fan of baseball? He is a very recognizable athlete. He even had the nickname ‘Comeback Kid’. And you can hear his story told by him personally.
● Kevin Holland
A Welterweight fighter in the UFC. He started his professional career in 2015, and he is fans favourite, as he is a hero not only in the ring, but also in real life. He held a carjacker until police came, disarmed a shooter in a restaurant, and pulled out a man from a car crash. His nickname is ‘Trailblazer’.
● Bi Nguyen
She is a VIetnamese’American MMA fighter, and her nickname is ‘Killer Bee’. She has an impressive career, but also an online presence where she wants to help people and inspire them to improve their lives.
Support system
In the hours leading to a match, filled with anticipation, anxiety, or even after a fight, no matter the outcome, every athlete needs his support system. His parents, team, coach, friends and significant other. They get emotional support and motivation from their circle. For example, Bi Nguyen started to train with support from her parents. She started her training in Houston, TX, with the help of her first coach, Navarro.
For Bryce Mitchell, it’s his family and life on the farm that gives him strength and peace.
Downtime
Even in their downtime, athletes keep up with the training, and play different sports, because with their physical readiness, they can excel in almost any other discipline, but they can do it without pressure. They spend time with family, help kids with school, go grocery shopping, and go on family vacations. They can also unwind with online gaming, with easy access to Ontario casino reviews and other forms of online entertainment, to relax and enjoy their free time.
Conclusion
Being an athlete is a tough vocation. But we also know it pays off. They make good money, have sponsorships and dealerships, and work with brands like Nike or Adidas. But most of them want to give back to their community. Yes, they post pictures on Instagram with the president, or Oprah. But they want to use their publicity to do something good, and start conversations about important issues. For example, climate change, wars, preventing diseases, and racial injustice. They start conversations and invite people to donate to charity funds to which they donate themselves. They are without any doubt making an impact on society.
