Freaky Photos Show What Elite Athletes Are Made Of

As the old saying goes: no pain no gain. And no group of people understand that concept better than athletes. These people are willing to put their minds and bodies through physical torture — all in the name of making those gains. Check out this gallery of photos that range from impressive to downright disturbing.

Slippery When Wet

Anthony Ervin's stunning tattoos are a sight to behold while he navigates the pool like a shark. He looks a little less... impressive... covered in all that shaving foam, but he's doing what he's gotta do to be a streamlined legend — and we respect him for that.

Record-Breaking or Skin-Breaking?

Hidilyn Diaz has been immortalized in history as the first ever Filipino Olympic gold medalist, and her efforts are clear to see. Take this as a lesson — being the best at something isn't about comfort, it's about pushing yourself beyond your limits and enduring the consequences!

Wrinkled King

He might be shriveled up like a big ol' prune, but ya boy Maarten van der Weijden just spent 55 hours in the water swimming 100 miles, like an actual beast. And he didn't just do it for fun, he did it in the name of cancer research.