Just What Constitutes An Athlete?

I heard two friends talking the other day at the local watering
hole and one was passionately arguing that Nascar drivers aren't 'real' athletes. Now I'm not a Nascar person but I've got to say that anyone that can endure the grueling schedule of nine months of racing every weekend at speeds of 200 miles an hour for several hours at a time, has my respect and admiration and to me certainly qualifies as an athlete.

It seems that many of us have the sterotypical idea of an athlete; someone who plays a game involving a lot of physical contact and/or requires individuals to have an 'athlete's' physique. I tend to take a different approach toward what constitutes an athlete. How about jockeys, who may only weigh about 100 pounds and who race animals several times their size as fast as possible. Are NBA or NFL players really any more of an athlete than these guys and girls?

Is it simply a matter of some sports being more 'athletic' than others?

I believe that some of us need to take a broader perspective when considering what makes a sport a sport, and just who is and isn't an athlete.