Successful Sports Professionals
Written by Lilie
7.5 in Academic Writing
March 24, 2021
Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
This essay question is from Cambridge IELTS 6 Test 2 Writing Task 2.
Sample Essay
Successful sportspeople can earn far more money than those in other important areas. Although some people feel that those in other important fields add more value to society, I think sports stars are worth their high incomes because of the effort they put into and the high pressure on their shoulders.
On the one hand, it can be argued that people working in other important industries create greater value for society than top athletes. Take for example engineers at SpaceX. The reusable rockets they developed have made humans becoming a multi-planetary species closer to reality. Winning a sports game, in comparison, does not seem to push humanity forward. However, I disagree with this and think elite athletes do have a huge impact in the world because the strong work ethic and perseverance they demonstrate have inspired many others to fearlessly chase their dreams.
On the other hand, to become a big sports star, one has to work extremely hard and endure high pressure. Consider what the American former competitive swimmer Michael Phelps went through. He trained every single day over the course of five years, and battled with depression brought about by public attention and the low points of his career. Only because of this did he become the greatest Olympian of all time. I think this kind of sacrifice is not what most engineers or scientists would make, and thus leading sports professionals do deserve high pay.
In conclusion, although some people may argue that top sportspeople do not create as much value as those in other important fields, I think these sportspeople work harder and face more pressure and therefore their high earnings are justified. (277 Words)