Describe a famous athlete you know

IELTS Cue Card Topic

Describe a famous athlete you know.

You should say
Who he/she is?
How do you know him/her?
What has he/she achieved?
And explain why he/she is famous?

Sample Answer 1

Introduction:

Being a sports enthusiast, I am a big fan of those sportspeople who show athleticism in their game.

Who he/she is?

Although I know many athletes, my favourite is the Indian Cricket team’s erstwhile(former) captain Mr Mohinder Singh Dhoni.

How do you know him/her?

I came to know him when he had led India to victory in a World Cup T20 match against Bangladesh. India was about to lose that match. However, MS Dhoni had an altogether different plan.

He ran like a bullet that day and was instrumental in running out one Bangladeshi batsman. Due to his athleticism, India managed to win that match by one run.

What has he/she achieved?

MS Dhoni’s arrival brought a paradigm shift in India cricket. Before his arrival, a handful of players used to be fit. The central focus of the players was not on fitness, and many of them were poor athletes.

But once MS Dhoni became the captain of the Indian Cricket Team, everything changed. Players started taking practice seriously, and many of them started hitting the gym in the wee hours.

Under Ms Dhoni’s aegis, India won one ODI world cup, one t20 world cup and one champion’s trophy. Apart from this, India became the number one test team.

And explain why he/she is famous?

He is famous for his two attributes. The first one is his athleticism and agility. Now he is 40 years old, but he runs as if he is in his early 20’s.

Apart from this, he tends to remain calm in adverse situations. Due to this reason, the cricket fraternity calls him “Captain Cool”.

Sample Answer 2

Introduction:

Although I know numerous popular athletes and sportspersons, today, I am going to discuss a Ukrainian athlete who has carved out a niche for himself in the pole vault game.

Who he/she is?

His name is Sergey Bubka.

How do you know him/her? and What has he/she achieved?

He is the only athlete in this world who has broken his own record thirty two times. Being a sports enthusiast and voracious reader, I have read a lot about him in various magazines and books.

And explain why he/she is famous?

He is so famous for his achievements in the Olympic games.
Due to his ability to break his records, he became a rising star in the 1980″s
The game of pole vault became famous after his arrival.
Despite a humble beginning, he worked with determination, dedication and discipline.
In his budding years as a player, he was not much successful.
His persistent failures prompted him to think beyond the conventional domain.
After making slight adjustments in his running style, he moved his athletics career towards an impressive growth trajectory.
These days he works as a Senior Vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
Apart from being a sportsperson, he is a philanthropist too.
I regularly follow his updates on Twitter and Instagram,
He is an active social entrepreneur, and he works tremendously hard to solve the pressing problems of our society.
There is no denying this conviction that famous people need to work in tandem with the general public to create mass awareness in society.
He does not shy away from voicing his opinion on the grave concerns of the modern world.
He has donated a sizeable portion of his lifelong earnings as charity.
Due to these qualities, he is my role model.

Conclusion:

After going through his biography, a paradigm shift has taken place in my thinking process. Whenever I get stuck at the same level, I get inspiration from the life of Sergey Bubka.

Follow up Questions

Here are some examples of follow up questions that the examiner might ask during your speaking part 3 related to cue card “Describe a famous athlete you know”.

1. What kinds of exercises do Indian people like?

A large section of society in India does not do any exercise. Due to this reason, there is a tremendous rise in the tally of obese and diabetic people in India. However, in the past few years, a surge is there in the count of people who wish to exercise. The most popular exercises in India are Yoga, Swimming and Walk etc.

2. What characteristics do you think an athlete should have?

An athlete should have an optimistic attitude. Moreover, he should do his practice with determination, dedication and discipline. Apart from this, his central focus should be on his goal. Lastly, he should leave no stone unturned to move his athletics career towards an impressive growth trajectory.

3. Why are there so few top athletes?

Becoming a top athlete is a daunting task. Apart from persistent efforts, it requires substantial wherewithal too. Due to this reason, athletes from underdeveloped and developing nations find it difficult to carry on with their athletics career and hang their boots in their prime. Thus, only a handful of athletes reach the stratosphere of success.

4. What’s the best way to become a top athlete?

Since the career of an athlete is too small, it is prudent to make an early start. Apart from this, one should focus on his diet and exercise to maintain physical and mental fitness in the longer run. Lastly, the athletes should seek the help of the sports ministry of their nation for financial support.

Describe a famous athlete you know IELTS cue card

Describe a famous athlete you know

IELTS Cue Card Topic

Sample Answer 1

Sample Answer 2

Follow up Questions

Cue Cards Sep to Dec 2021