Mr Olympia 2011: Phil Heath Paves Way for Athlete Washouts to Shine on Stage

The harsh reality for most athletes is that they aren't going to become a professional in their sport. Such was the case for Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, who played basketball at the University of Denver and failed to even stand out there.

Even though athletes may not have what it takes to rise to the professional ranks in their sport, that doesn't mean they need to give up on competing altogether. Bodybuilding provides athletes who couldn't hack it with an opportunity to be a star.

Obviously not everyone is cut out for bodybuilding, but Heath didn't exactly appear to be Mr. Olympia material while he was in college. He's a living testament that hard work and dedication can produce absurd results in the weight room.

We can expect to see more athletes utilize bodybuilding as a way to maintain a competitive nature and stay active after their careers are over.

It doesn't take the best basketball, soccer or football player in the country to become the next Mr. Olympia. With there being thousands upon thousands of athletes that fail to make it to the next level, there is a huge pool of prospective bodybuilders who could be interested in following in Heath's footsteps.

Many athletes have a weight training background, solid physique and a great work ethic. It's the perfect combination which can launch one into a promising career in bodybuilding.

Be that as it may, that also isn't to say every scrub athlete can get in the gym and become Mr. Olympia. Even so, with the number of athletes that are bound to be streamlined into bodybuilding competitions, we are bound to see more stories like Heath.

Heath's athletic background may be a storyline now, but in the very near future his path will become commonplace within the Mr. Olympia competition.