Sport
Sport is an almost essential part of life for billions of people around the world. Whether playing at the highest level, getting some exercise with friends in spare time or watching a favourite team compete, sport provides fun and entertainment for many people on a daily basis. From the athleticism and mental composure required in individual disciplines like Athletics and Tennis to the technical skills and team work required in sports like Football and Ice Hockey, chances are that somewhere there is a sport to interest everybody.
The pinnacle of the sporting world is the Olympic Games, an international event held every 4 years where a combination of mostly professional, as well as some amateur athletes compete against each other in a wide range of sports for the honour of becoming the best in the world in each discipline. There are two variations of the Olympics, more commonly referred to as the 'Summer' Olympics and the 'Winter' Olympics. Due to the unique environment some sports require, it would be a near impossible task to try to combine these events in a single location. As a result, these events are held in different locations and separated by a 2 year gap.
While the Olympics provide the biggest stage for a wide range of sports, the biggest single sport event in the world is the Football World Cup. It is an international competition held every four years where the best international Football teams compete to try and win one of the most recognisable trophies in all of sport. This event stands above other single sport events in terms of importance due to the hugely popular global nature of the sport of Association Football.
Although Association Football is certainly the most popular sport on Earth, it isn't regarded as the most difficult to participate in. A (link)recent study(end link) organised by global sports broadcaster ESPN, using the knowledge and experience of sports science members of the US Olympic Committee, academics of human physiology, a star athlete and a group of sports journalists determined that the most demanding sport in the world is Boxing. This is due to participants requiring a strong combination of power, speed, durability, endurance and nerve. The top three is rounded out by Ice Hockey and American Football, with Association Football rated 10th overall.
Of course, sport need only be as demanding as you want it to be. Sports like Rugby and Ice Hockey can be very demanding to participate in but there are no contact (or limited contact) versions of these sports for people who want to give them a try without the fear of potentially acquiring a serious injury. The same is true of many other sports. With a little research, you may be able to find somewhere locally that enables you to try a safer version of a sport which normally carries risks or restrictions that would otherwise make it impractical to try.