10. Ibrahim Balla: From Boxer to Plumber

While it’s easy to get swept up in all of the glamor and spectacle of the Olympic Games, the reality is that for many athletes, it’s a passion that they have to pursue part time.

That holds true, at least, for Ibrahim Balla of Australian. The scrappy fighter comes from a boxing family, but in Australia boxing doesn’t really pay the bills. So he turned to plumbing to bring in some income.

“Boxing is not so popular in Australia. Most people watch Aussie Rules Football and I needed to find a job in order to continue boxing. As a kid, I was always charmed by water pipes and all the other plumbing equipment; there was an opening at Duun Plumbing and I applied and got selected. It was tough initially but once my training schedule was finalised, we chalked out the work formalities,” Balla told The Indian Express.

Impressive. Balla is blessed with the ability to both knock your teeth out and unclog your pipes. He can double as security and maintenance for his any company!

11. Tom Daley: From Diving to Wakeboarding

The British boy wonder is being celebrated more for his ripped body and boy-next-door looks than his dives these days, but there’s no denying that Tom Daley is really at home when he’s in the water.

Even though he spends much of his time in a pool, Daley actually likes to wakeboard (it’s like snowboarding on water) in his free time, according to his official profile on British Swimming.

Tom must have been born with gills and we just don’t know it.

12. Koji Murofushi: From Hammer Thrower to PhD

We hate to fall on the stereotype that jocks are dumb, but even we were surprised to learn that Japan’s Koki Murofushi was actually a professor. The 37-year-old hammer thrower has a doctorate in bio-mechanics, which he picked up in 2004 from Chukyo University, according to Japan Daily Press.

So not only could he play a Japanese version of Thor, but he can also break down the bio-mechanics of every movement he does as he launches that mountain of metal? Color us impressed. Brains and brawn are the real deal in Japan.

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