Big Screen Athletes

With the 2012 London Olympics taking over, movies will take a back seat to world class athleticism for a few weeks. Sports and the athletes that play them have always managed to capture the imagination of the public, both in real-life and in the movies. Here are some of our favourite big screen athletes. -- By Will Perkins

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Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank)- “Million Dollar Baby”: Boxing coach Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) says he doesn’t train girls, but reluctantly agrees to show Maggie Fitzgerald the ropes after she impresses him with her gumption. Much to old Dunn’s surprise, Fitzgerald steadily works her way up the welterweight ranks and begins to make a name for herself. Things don’t go as planned when she gets a shot at the title, but Maggie got exactly what ... more
Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank)- “Million Dollar Baby”: Boxing coach Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) says he doesn’t train girls, but reluctantly agrees to show Maggie Fitzgerald the ropes after she impresses him with her gumption. Much to old Dunn’s surprise, Fitzgerald steadily works her way up the welterweight ranks and begins to make a name for herself. Things don’t go as planned when she gets a shot at the title, but Maggie got exactly what she wanted in the process. Swank took home the Best Actress Oscar for her pugilistic turn in the film. less