Understanding extreme sports enthusiasts



There are two types of people: those who would jump from a plane, hungry to feel the rush of adrenaline in those moments before the parachute opens up, and those who would rather not tempt fate, and instead find pleasure in remaining safely on firm ground, perhaps enjoying a nice view.



An extreme sport is one where a small mistake could result in a serious injury, even death. What is it that separates extreme sports enthusiasts from others who prefer to avoid such activities? "There has to be something wrong with them." That's an assumption that many people, including researchers, have historically held. Why else would a person participate in sports such as base jumping and free solo climbing, which are characterised by such high risk?



But Eric Brymer, behavioural scientist who studies the psychology of adventure, has met many extreme athletes in his career and challenges the view that they are all reckless thrill-seekers. "Most people were very careful and took years to develop their skills," he said. Many don't even consider their sports risky because they spend so much time minimising risk. In fact, a desire to manage risks was a trait identified in extreme athletes in a 2024 study called 'What factors explain extreme sport participation?'.



The authors also found that athletes enjoyed feeling at one with nature and being part of a community of like-minded people. Another theme was a drive to succeed. In this sense, extreme athletes might not differ much from traditional athletes – they are all united in wanting that sense of achievement.



Lastly, while many extreme athletes are thrill-seekers, others use extreme sports for emotion regulation. For those who struggle to confront their emotions, extreme sports can provide an outlet.



Alex Honnold is the first and currently only person to free solo climb El Capitan, a rock formation in Yosemite National Park, from base to summit. When asked why he free climbs, he said "I'm searching more for that feeling of having done something well and being deeply content – it's more than the quick hit of adrenaline. It's personal."



You might not feel the need to free solo climb a massive rock face to feel fulfilled, but the feeling of achieving goals outside of our comfort zone is something many of us can relate to.



词汇表

rush of adrenaline [rʌʃ][əˈdrenəlɪn] 肾上腺素飙升

parachute [ˈpærəˌʃuːt] 降落伞

tempt fate [tempt] 冒不必要的危险，玩命

firm ground [fɜː(r)m] 坚实的地面

extreme sport 极限运动

enthusiast [ɪnˈθjuːziæst] 爱好者，热心者

assumption [ə'sʌmpʃ(ə)n] 假定，假设，臆断

base jumping [beɪs] 定点跳伞，低空跳伞

free solo climbing  [ˈsəʊləʊ]['klaɪmɪŋ] 徒手攀登，无保护攀登

behavioural scientist [bɪ'heɪvjərəl] 行为科学家

challenge [ˈtʃælɪndʒ] 质疑，怀疑；挑战

reckless ['rekləs] 不计后果的，鲁莽的

thrill-seeker [ˈθrɪlˌsiːkər] 追求刺激的人，挑战极限的人

risky ['rɪski] 冒险的，危险的，有风险的

minimise ['mɪnɪmaɪz] 降低，使减少到最低限度，最小化

at one with nature 与自然融为一体

like-minded [ˌlaɪkˈmaɪndɪd] 志趣相投的，意见相同的，想法一致的

drive 欲望，驱动力

sense of achievement [əˈtʃiːvmənt] 成就感

emotion regulation [ˌreɡjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n] 情绪调节

confront [kən'frʌnt] 面对，对抗，处理

outlet [ˈaʊtˌlet]（情绪的）发泄途径，出口

El Capitan [ɛl kæpɪˈtæn] 酋长岩

rock formation [fɔː(r)ˈmeɪʃ(ə)n] 岩层

Yosemite National Park [jəʊˌsemɪti] 优胜美地国家公园（位于加州中部）

summit ['sʌmɪt] 山顶，顶峰

content ['kɒntent] 满足的，满意的

massive rock ['mæsɪv] 巨大的岩壁

comfort zone [zəʊn] 舒适区

relate to  领略，认同，发生共鸣



📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】