Having a special skill is rare. But some people are so talented, they make you ask, "how do they do that?" Below are some individuals with more than their fair share of talent!
From his birth in 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was special. A child prodigy, Mozart was composing music by the age of five. By then, he could already play the piano and the violin.
As a child, he often performed for European royalty. He did many tours of different countries and played in courts and other buildings. Mozart created more than 600 works before his early death at age 35. He had a big influence on Western music. He is considered one of the greatest classical composers of all time.
If you suffer from acrophobia, Alain Robert's talent might make you feel funny. He is known as "the French Spider-Man." That's because he does urban climbing and parkour. He climbs skyscrapers without any equipment. He has climbed buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, the Burj Khalifa, and the Empire State Building.
Many of Robert's climbs are illegal; he is often arrested after his climb. He attracts big crowds when he climbs.
Some of his climbs raise awareness for social issues; in 2008, after climbing the New York Times building, he unfurled a global warming banner.
In 1982, Roberts had a climbing accident. He fell 15 metres to the ground. He suffered from vertigo and many broken bones. After six surgeries, he was ready to climb again.
Chrissie Wellington is a former triathlete. In fact, she is a four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion. In order to complete a race, you must swim 3.86km, cycle 180.25km, and run a marathon (42.20km). It is no surprise that it is considered one of the hardest sporting events in the world.
She is not just a racer; she also helps poorer countries and people with disabilities. Now that she no longer races, she works with many charities around the world.
Running a marathon is just too easy for some people. That's why the ultramarathon was created. An ultramarathon is any race longer than 42.20km. It takes amazing endurance and strength.
One of the most famous ultramarathon runners is Dean Karnazes. His achievements are almost too amazing to believe. He ran 560km in under 81 hours without sleeping. He ran a marathon in −25 °C without snowshoes. He ran 50 marathons in 50 days. It seems like there's nothing that would make him tired!
The game of chess attracts many precocious young players. Bobby Fischer is one such player. At age 13, he won a game which was later called "the Game of the Century." At 14, he became the youngest ever U.S. Chess Champion, and at 15 he became the youngest ever Grandmaster. Today, he is remembered as one of the greatest chess players in the world.
Beginning in 1925, the United States has held a national spelling bee every year. A spelling bee is a tournament in which contestants must spell words correctly. Students compete in local tournaments and gain sponsorship from companies. They must earn their position in the national tournament. It is not uncommon to have co-champions. In 1950, two finalists were declared winners as they spelled the entire list of words correctly. Can you spell well enough to enter a competition?
All of these amazing people can teach us an important lesson. Try hard at whatever you do!