Celebrating Philippe Petit — magician, wire-walker, street artist, author, and the most intrepid athlete of our time..
In-depth article by Dave D’Alessandro for NJ.com
You probably have your own definition of athleticism, derived from some combination of skills that fits the traditional model. If you happen to rate athletic achievement by physical talent, strength, coordination, flexibility, dedication, body control and courage, a few guys stand out.
Those leather-lunged lunatics who climb Mount Everest without the aid of oxygen always come to mind first. If you think anyone can do that, offer them A-Rod’s money for incentive and his juice packs for energy. They still have a better chance of being eaten by a Yetti before they reach Base Camp.
But we also think of Philippe Petit, because in its purest form, courage is character, and character trumps everything – even in sport, where no victory can be as satisfying as one teetering on cataclysmic failure…