Even while modeling I was still practicing kung fu and boxing as sports.
Hopefully with some years of practice and just getting to that state I'll try extreme sports again.
Few sports has as great a disparity between the time committed in practice and time actually spent in game or race conditions.
Even when I played sports when I was little I played to win. Otherwise what's the point of putting the pads on and going to practice? I don't understand.
Sports and athletics can be a path in Zen in concordance with daily practice of zazen meditation. You need to move with your spirit not just with your body.