Then there's Armstrong, the cancer survivor who won, again and again, the most physically demanding contest in all of sports and as he did so spun himself into a role model and inspiration to millions.
No 12-year-old has won the race since What A Myth in 1969 and Kauto Star must take on young defending champion Long Run and 13 others in the demanding contest over more than three-and-a-quarter miles around Prestbury Park.
Also with the contest demanding to examine a rawfile of any photograph that makes it through to the penultimate round of judging – overmanipulated images are filtered out – but seemingly in ever increasing numbers.
Russia's political establishment reacted with howls of indignation on Sunday to Ukraine's victory at the Eurovision song contest, demanding an inquiry into how a politicised song was allowed to be included in the event and threatening to boycott next year's contest.
The visitors had - Smith apart - coped with the pressure and the relentlessly demanding nature of the contest.
He had ventured deep into the alternate world of this most intellectually demanding of games, a daunting contest of infinite possibilities, and succeeded in becoming world champion.
Labour, which had been demanding a head-to-head contest between Miliband and Cameron, appeared caught out by the Tories' announcement.
May has demanded a "proper contest" as polling suggests she is racing towards victory.
Trickett and his backers demanded that Rush contest the title on the Parramatta River where he won it from Hickey.
