Tenacious professionals

Surely many of us have come to understand that in the longer term there are few really healthy people in professional sports and that the career of such athletes lasts for a short period after which their bodies are beset with aches and injuries, while some even become disabled.

Well, this perception seems to be quite reasonable, as we see such situations around us from time to time. However, there are exceptions. And, indeed, if we dig deeper, it turns out that there are a great many such exceptions and not just in very popular sports but also among the best of the best of individual athletes.

It is always amazing to see the sports achievements of some athletes who continue to practice sport at a professional level. Let us talk about some of them. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 39 years old, football player, forward of Milan (Italy) played for Malmo (1991-2001), Ajax (2001-2004), Juventus (2004-2006), Inter (2006-2009), Barcelona (2009- 2010), Milan (2010-2012), Paris SaintGermain (2012-2016), Manchester United (2016-2018), Los Angeles Galaxy (2018-2019) and Milan (present).

This sports star was born in 1981 in the Swedish city of Malmö. His parents practiced different religions: his father, Shefik Ibrahimovic, was Muslim, and mother, Yurka Gravich, was Christian.

Zlatan started his career in a local club. He played for the senior team in 1999, when he was 18. He has never received the “Golden Ball”, nor did he win the Champions League, European Championship or World Championship.

But in the history of football, he will remain as a super striker, the author of stunning goals and an example of longevity in football. Just imagine, Zlatan played at a professional level (for Swedish Malmö) back in the late 1990s! Next there were 7 European super clubs and the American Los Angeles Galaxy, 116 matches and 62 goals scored for the Swedish national team!

The forward returned to Milan at the end of 2019. The player has recently shared that he may stay in the team for another season. By the way, American scientists are going to investigate the body of Ibrahimovic when he ends his career. They fail to understand how a football player, who has injured his knees many times, has always returned to the top level.

Ibrahimovic has revealed his key to success, which helps him to maintain a professional level at 39 years of age. One of the elements of his daily schedule is aerobic exercise. This is any form of low to medium paced physical activity.

This may seems an easy task but such loads have several nuances at once. Firstly, oxygen is fundamental to aerobic training. It is used as the main source of energy to support muscle activity. Secondly, aerobic exercise helps to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart failure, improve lung function and help overcome stress.

The most popular aerobic exercises are running, swimming, and cycling. In his free time, Zlatan enjoys hunting and fishing: “These two activities seem to me to be truly men’s entertainment.” In an interview in “Eurosport”, Ibrahimovic said that his idol is Mohammed Ali, “He is a role model - both in sports and beyond...”

Ibrahimovic has consistently participated in charity events, as well as being engaged in the fight against hunger campaign. At 39, he is flexible and mega-charged for success. There are many achievements in his track record. He became the football player of the year 11 times in Sweden and three times in Italy.

In 2013 he received the FIFA Ferenc Puskas Award, which is awarded to the male or female judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant, or “most beautiful”, goal of the calendar year. He is the top scorer in the history of the Swedish national team and is considered one of the most successful athletes of the 21st century.

Another athlete with a long career is Jaromir Jagr, 49 years old, a hockey player and forward (Czech Republic). He played for Pittsburgh Penguins (1990-2001), Washington Capitals (2001-2004), New York Rangers (2004- 2008), Avangard Omsk (2008-2011), Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins (2011-2013), New Jersey Devils (2013-2015), Florida Panthers (2015-2017), Calgary Flames (2017- 2018) and Kladno (2018-present). Jaromir was born on 15 February 1972 in the Czechoslovak city of Kladno. At the age of 4 he started playing hockey, having entered the children’s hockey school, Kladno.

Jagr stood out not only for his large physique but also for his excellent hockey skills and became the leader of his teams. He is a living legend of Czech ice hockey, a player who has become a true epitome of strength, endurance and the highest professional skill.

During his career, this talented striker has played in a variety of clubs and championships. Among his awards are two Stanley Cups, Olympic gold medals, and two sets of gold medals at the World Championships. While playing for the Russian Avangard Omsk, Jagr once was asked about the secret of his success, to which he answered, “I have no secret.

I am simply a very religious person. I love God. At the first opportunity I go and pray... God gives me back my energy... Moving to Russia helped me to find a God. It helped me become a better person...”

There is a big rivalry in hockey, therefore it is important for a player to pay attention to his mental condition. While playing in the NHL, Jagr watched as the careers of some players plummeted due to family problems and divorces. Then he made a clear decision that the career of a hockey player would be foremost for him. Jaromir consciously ruled out all factors that could hinder his growth in hockey.

“You are not going to last with talent alone,” says the athlete. “You need to work every day. I’ve always enjoyed training. Age is never an issue. If you make an effort, then you can play at 50, unless it becomes more difficult to recover and you get more tired. The main thing is to appropriately allocate your time. And you just need to love your job and work hard.”

Sooner or later, both Zlatan and Yaromir will have to finish playing professional sports. Surely they know how to shift from professional sports to ordinary exercises. And yet, it will interesting to see what will happen with their health in future.

For example, very important is the physical form in which athlete ends his professional career and how he maintains this form thereafter. Scientists from St Petersburg have analysed the life of 58,000 professional athletes. It turned out that yachtsmen were the healthiest: their average life expectancy was 77.1 years; every fifth having lived more than nine decades.

“We divided all kinds of sport into 4 groups, depending on average life expectancy,” explains the gerontologist, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Science, Professor Vladimir Anisimov. “The shortest (62-68 years) life expectancy was among those who were engaged in auto and motor sports, rock climbing, martial arts and weightlifting.

One would assume that this is due to extremely heavy physical and psychological tension. However, the same group included football players and even chess players. At the same time, the two longest living groups included those practicing such energy-intensive sports as hockey, cycling, rugby, rowing, gymnastics, etc.

Among those who had the highest life expectancy were not only representatives of the “aristocratic” kinds of sport (sailing, equestrian, fencing), but also skiers and swimmers who do hard work.

Indeed, many high-skilled athletes, despite their approaching their physical limits, continue to be engaged in their sport and show better results. Generally, the main key to individual progress is the more efficient use of motor and physiological capabilities. Such progress relates to physiological, biomechanical and psychological factors, in which individual creativity, self-confidence and athletic erudition play a huge role.

GAMZAT ADILBIEV As-Salam correspondent