8. Julie Moss / Triathlete
In February of 1982, Julie Moss was a 23-year-old wildcard entrant in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship, featuring a 2.4-mile sea swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile foot race. She had entered the grueling contest merely as part of her thesis submission on physiology and training, but with only less than a mile to the finish line, she shockingly found herself ahead of the field. Unfortunately, just ten yards from the end, her legs gave way, and so did her muscle control, causing her to empty the contents of her bowels. As Wide World of Sports aired the unfolding drama, another racer flew past Moss, who, although on her knees, still managed to crawl across the finish line for a second-place finish. Yes, she may have lost the top prize and control of her bodily functions, but the moment is nevertheless remembered as one of the most moving and inspiring scenes in sporting history.
7. Robbie Tobeck / American Football Player
Retired 14-season (1993-2006) American football center Robbie Tobeck once suffered from diarrhea so bad that he lost ten pounds in one week, but an important game of the Seattle Seahawks against the Washington Redskins forced him to play despite the potentially messy consequences. In preparation for an anticipated eventuality, trainers had a bucket on hand just in case their ward had to go right there and then. They also brought an extra pair of pants for Tobeck — yes, it was that bad. And as foreseen, Robbie did mess up his underwear right in the opening minutes of the game after he had gotten hit hard. Nevertheless, Tobeck decided to stay on the field, and soon, the stench got so bad that all of the players knew what Robbie had done in his pants. In fact, two years later, when the Seahawks returned to Washington, someone cruelly planted a pack of adult diapers in Tobeck’s locker.
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