Sydney

When meeting people from Europe, South America, or basically anywhere else in the world besides the States, talking about football normally means talking about what we call soccer. Sure many people are aware of this vocabulary conundrum, but when traveling to Australia, another rift in the definition of football comes about. While some Australians are soccer fans, as well as American football fans (which they refer to as gridiron), football for them means Australian Rules Football, (aka AFL or footy).

I remember looking up to sport stars like Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds when I was younger, thinking that when I grew up, I wanted to be just like them. As I got older and began participating in endurance sports, I found myself drawn to figures like Lance Armstrong and Bernard Lagat. While I knew that sports would never be a career for me, I did see these people as more than athletes. I felt like they were role models.