Famous athletes must experienced many years of training to develop the skills and fitness required and sometimes they could risk their lives and health.
The number of people having real talent in each sport fields are often very few and sometimes they is unique. For example, it is rare to find someone with the tennis skills of Roger Federer who is regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time and it can be argued that he deserve enormous salaries that reflect their abilities.
Even more, sport persons often play an important role in the fame of their nation because when participating major tournaments, these athletes often use their country’s name only as a label.