Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

[GVGjr]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

Always thought Rober Decastella was as mentally tough as they come. Marathon running is the loneliest of sports.
To win his first Commonwealth games in the Brisbane heat, still holding I believe some world record times, an out and out legend.
After he retired, he went and got a black belt in Karate. Just for something to do I guess....

I think the discussion could move into tough sports rather than mentally tough performances.
I'm looking for more specific acts of determination or when hardships are overcome.

[Happy Days]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

I can't go past Michael Jordan's "Flu game" in 1997. Game 5 of the playoffs on the road against the Utah Jazz.

Woke up at 2am the night before the game with severe abdominal pain and could barely sit up in bed. Doctors told him there was no way he could play that night.

Jordan willed himself out of bed an hour and a half before tip off. Despite being way of his usual pace and a sluggish start, he worked his way into the game despite being severely fatigued.

With 25 minutes left on the clock, Jordan hit a clutch the pointer to give the Bulls a lead that would not be overcome.

At the final buzzer an exhausted Jordan collapsed into Scottie Pippen's arms, having played 44 of 48 minutes and contributed a game high 38 points, plus 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Don't you mean the "flu" game?

[Twodogs]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

I think the discussion could move into tough sports rather than mentally tough performances.
I'm looking for more specific acts of determination or when hardships are overcome.

Where do you rate a performance like Jonathan Thurstons in the NRL Grand Final last year? To impose his will on a Grand Final and drag his team over the line in one of the greatest finishes of all time showed incredible fortitude.

[GVGjr]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

Where do you rate a performance like Jonathan Thurstons in the NRL Grand Final last year? To impose his will on a Grand Final and drag his team over the line in one of the greatest finishes of all time showed incredible fortitude.

To me it's a very different discussion. I saw Brad Johnson do that against Adelaide albeit obviously not a GF.

It's about overcoming an illness, a family tragedy, poor form or a partisan crowd etc and achieving something special and these are the examples I'm looking for. It's not about the likes of when John Eales stepped forward step up and kicked a massive field goal to win a game.

I think the acts of mental toughness I provided in the opening post should give a good starting point or the clarity on the examples I'd like to discuss especially the stories behind it. There must be dozens of them. I doubt many would remember the Brian Teacher example or know the story behind the result. Some might find it interesting, some might not.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

Jason McCartney.

[GVGjr]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

Jason McCartney.

For the rest of the community could you give an overview?

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

For the rest of the community could you give an overview?

He was blown up with a bomb. Given for dead. Told he'd never do most things, especially footy. Would've gone through more pain and mental anguish to play AFL, but toughed it out and we know the rest. Now a great list manager.

I think any racer, car, bike or horse etc, that suffers horrific injuries and get back to it again. The mental aspect of PTSD like fear upon the pain and body issues, training - I thinks as tough as you get.

But a different nomination Sean Abbott. You could easily see a scenario where he might quit, or would lose the ability to bowl bouncers or with aggression. He obviously had a lot of support and I hope he keeps the positive things comings, but being the bowler involved in such a tragedy would have so much baggage that only someone with a strong mental capacity/toughness/resilience could do it. He has.

[GVGjr]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

I still think these are examples of bravery more so than than mental toughness in a contest. It was a massive achievement for J-Mac just to come back and any subsequent achievement secondary to that story.
Abbott coming back is bravery but perhaps his story hasn't been fully written yet. As a cricketer he really hasn't made it to the international level.

I'm looking more the ultimate triumph against adversary where the result is more than returning to the sport that you love. I don't want to diminish those results because they are sensational achievements but I think they are better suited for a different thread.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

I still think these are examples of bravery more so than than mental toughness in a contest. It was a massive achievement for J-Mac just to come back and any subsequent achievement secondary to that story.
Abbott coming back is bravery but perhaps his story hasn't been fully written yet. As a cricketer he really hasn't made it to the international level.

I'm looking more the ultimate triumph against adversary where the result is more than returning to the sport that you love. I don't want to diminish those results because they are sensational achievements but I think they are better suited for a different thread.

You might have to throw up some names for inspiration G. I'm not sure I completely follow.

[Twodogs]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

To me it's a very different discussion. I saw Brad Johnson do that against Adelaide albeit obviously not a GF.

It's about overcoming an illness, a family tragedy, poor form or a partisan crowd etc and achieving something special and these are the examples I'm looking for. It's not about the likes of when John Eales stepped forward step up and kicked a massive field goal to win a game.

I think the acts of mental toughness I provided in the opening post should give a good starting point or the clarity on the examples I'd like to discuss especially the stories behind it. There must be dozens of them. I doubt many would remember the Brian Teacher example or know the story behind the result. Some might find it interesting, some might not.

Thurston had to block out an entire crowd in the biggest of the biggest days for two Queensland. He had to forget the fact he had hit the post with an attempt at a winning goal in normal time and then he had to have the wherewithal to hold the ball and not shoot in extra time because Brisbane had set up to well defensively not once but twice and waited until the fifth and final tackle to take his chance to win the game. And he did all of that with the weight and expectations of all of FNQ sitting on his shoulders.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

Any Paralympian basketballers, who have accidents, and then a year later, are crashing around a basketball court. They amaze me.
If one wants to name names, Steve Brown from the UK, who fell off a balcony in 2005. Completely paralysed from the chest down.
Represented London in the 2006 national rugby titles 6 months later. Represented UK in the Paralympics in 2012. His wheelchair looks like something that's been through a war.

I know that's not really what you were looking for GVG, but one from left field.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

Lucas Browne - Makes Australian history. World Heavy Weight Champ! What a comeback. Knocked down in the 6th. Had only won 1 round up until then. Looked done and dusted. Wins the 7th, then goes on for a TKO in the 10th. Pretty special given it was not his home crowd.

http://www.theage.com.au/video/video-news/video-world-news/lucas-browne-makes-aussie-boxing-history-20160305-4blm7.html

On sportsbet they were giving out 8.00 to win

[AndrewP6]

Re: Mentally tough sportsmen/women performances

Any Paralympian basketballers, who have accidents, and then a year later, are crashing around a basketball court. They amaze me.
If one wants to name names, Steve Brown from the UK, who fell off a balcony in 2005. Completely paralysed from the chest down.
Represented London in the 2006 national rugby titles 6 months later. Represented UK in the Paralympics in 2012. His wheelchair looks like something that's been through a war.

I know that's not really what you were looking for GVG, but one from left field.

I like it. Troy Sachs almost singlehandedly won Australia's first Paralympic/Olympic gold medal. Atlanta 1996, as a 20 year old, he scored 42 points, and the Aussies claimed gold. He was in "the zone of zones", to quote his captain at the time, Sandy Blythe. I watched the tape (yes, tape!) of that game constantly.