Oh, to my mind, there are lots of personal and physical qualities that an athlete must have. First of all, I think athletes should be self-confident by nature 'cause the greater an athlete's confidence, the more willing they are to keep trying even when failing. Another important quality is a strong sense of motivation. I know that high-performing athletes are motivated by the desire to beat their competition, crush their current personal best, and prove to themselves their hard work wasn't for nothing. A commitment to excellence, which is an obsession to do whatever it takes to be the best is a key ingredient to success, is essential as well. Also, athletes should have a strong sense of focus 'cause it allows them to channel all their ability into competition when it matters most, and this focus allows them to remain in the moment. One more crucial quality is passion. Without passion, it is hard, or maybe impossible, to put in the type of work necessary to be successful. And it's passion that makes an athlete willing to jump through hoops, go through all the ups and downs and everything in between to reach their goals. And, of course, I can't help mentioning persistence, self-discipline, optimism, an ability to manage stress, acceptance of criticism, competitive spirit, and willingness to practice long and hard, to name but a few. Also, there are a number of essential physical qualities of an athlete such as mobility, speed, endurance, balance and coordination, power and time sense. All these characteristics allow athletes to move effectively, run more, cycle longer, swim stronger, squat a near-maximal load, explode off the line or propel themselves off the ground.