Throwing yourself head first down an icy track at speeds of up to 87mph takes the kind of courage that few of us possess.
To continue doing so when you have blacked out during a run on one of the fastest tracks in the world takes bravery to a whole new level.
And skeleton athlete Lizzy Yarnold is hoping that absolute commitment and determination to face any challenge literally head on will reap its rewards at Sochi 2014.
The 25-year-old – who has emerged in the last 18 months as a genuine contender to succeed Bath's Amy Williams as Olympic champion – was practicing for a World Cup outing at Whistler in 2012 when she lost consciousness coming out of the last corner.
"I wasn't aware of the blackout at the time," said Yarnold, who struggled to keep her balance after the run but was passed fit to compete two days later – and won a bronze medal.
"The pressures that we are pulling in the corners are so intense that your head is forced onto the ice. Most corners are around 5Gs and your body is not made to cope with things like that.
"The vibrations and pressures that skeleton athletes are put under are extraordinary.
"When you get to the bottom of a skeleton run, you are sometimes so exhausted and mentally drained. Then when you have been doing that for five months, and travelling around week after week, you get so exhausted.
"I do find, coming away at the end of a season, that my brain is not quite functioning as well as it does later in the summer. There is an aspect of compromise there but we have great physios and a great medical team around us.
"It's a sport where safety is an important aspect and you have to be really aware of that. The equipment is outstanding and we always wear the best helmets but experience will always help in skeleton.
"It's like motor racing – the more times you do it, the easier it becomes. I hope I can get better and better over the years."
Practice clearly has been making perfect for Yarnold, who was crowned as World Junior Champion in January 2012 and then won a breakthrough bronze at the senior championships. She was fourth this year, a position she also occupied in the FIBT World Cup standings.
Yarnold was promoted to British Bobsleigh's World Cup squad at the expense of Williams last year – but there were clearly no hard feelings as the Olympic champion is now the protege's landlady.
"Moving to Bath has massively helped," said Yarnold, who uprooted from Kent to join British Bobsleigh's full-time training programme at the University of Bath after becoming eligible for lottery funding.
"I can train and focus every day on all the little things I need to put in place for Sochi.
"Amy is a great landlady as well, and great to learn from although it's not necessarily the advice or what she says.
"When I started a few years ago and trained alongside her in the gym, she never let a rep go, she was lifting weights to the maximum of her capability.
"To see how a normal athlete can go on to become exceptional and an Olympic champion through such hard work – not just through the competition season but every single day – was inspirational.
"I want to emulate that and win gold as well."
The former heptathlete was just months into the sport when Williams famously won Britain's only title at the Vancouver 2010 Games.
"I had my first attempt at sliding in 2009 when I was 20 years old," recalled Yarnold, who took part in the Girls4Gold talent search programme.
"I got to the bottom of the track and thought 'I could do that better' – I was petrified at the same time, though.
"I still get that same thrill every time. When I start a practice run or a competition, the nerves take over and as long as you get those butterflies flying in the right direction you can still perform.
"When you have a go at a sport like skeleton, you are either quite scared of it or have a real passion for it straight away. I've just managed to slot in – possibly I'm just naturally good at sliding head-first."
Yarnold will have another chance to show her skills when the 2013-14 World Cup season gets under way in Calgary on Sunday.
