Is it worth it to be an Olympic athletic?

A good question, but unfortunately not one you can ask to the average forum Joe.

Most people can't be bothered to adopt a healthy lifestyle, eating clean and doing physical activity three times a week. Can you expect them to give you an answer, when they probably can't even begin to understand the kind of efforts and the discipline needed to be an olympic level athlete?

The fact is that most athletes, especially olympic level athletes do not think like Joe and Jane Average. Let me give you an example of this. A few years ago they did a test with a bunch of athletes training for the Olympics. The test was a simple question: "If you were given access to a new and completely legal training technique, which would kill you in five years time but which would garantee you a gold medal in you chosen discipline at the Olympics, would you use it?" And most athletes answered "Yes".

There are people all over the world so dedicated to a cause, that they are willing to do amazing and terrible things for it. To athletes, their chosen discipline, whether it is running, swimming or bodybuilding, -is- their cause. And they'll do whatever it takes to achieve success. Those with strong moral guidelines and a supportive entourage are often able to moderate this tendency to 'do whatever it takes'. But the others are not always so lucky, and will often take some dubious or even dangerous path to achieve greatness.

So my answer to the original question, "Is it worth it to be an Olympic athlete?": Yes.

Fascinating about that survey.  If I'd been asked the same question, my answer would be "No way!"  Even if the upside was being able-bodied, I'd still say "No". ::)