From Greek 'athlētēs' (competitor for a prize), from 'athlos' (contest) — always implying intense competitive effort, not casual exercise.
A person who is proficient in sports or physical exercises; one who competes in organized athletic events requiring physical strength, speed, or endurance.
From Latin 'athleta,' from Greek 'athlētēs' (a contestant, a competitor in games), from 'athlein' (to compete for a prize), from 'athlos' or 'aethlon' (a contest, a prize, a feat of endurance). The deeper etymology is uncertain, but some scholars connect it to PIE *wedh- (to strike, to push). In ancient Greece, an 'athlētēs' was specifically one who competed in the great Panhellenic festivals
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