Robbie Madison of Kiama is the latest to join the ranks of the rich and famous. The twenty-seven year old amazed new year crowds at Los Vegas when he successfully made a motorcycle jump from a ramp to the top of a ten storey replica of the Arc de Triomphe - and then did a thirty metre free fall to land perfectly on an inclined escape ramp below.
This feat pushed the boundaries of possibility - and with it the danger of death or serious injury. It will become the yardstick from which others will devise stunts of even greater magnitude.
For Robbie Madison - already the holder of earlier stunt records - a rich life awaits. We reward those who stand out from the crowd in so many ways with fame and fortune.
Stephanie Rice won gold in the Olympic swimming pool. Leighton Hewitt is a master on a tennis court. Greg Norman and Tiger Woods became multi millionaires as a result of their prowess with a gold club. Albums by the Beatles command record prices. Football and basketball stars live a life of luxury with bank accounts rivalling movie stars.
We mere mortals must wonder. Skill is certainly a factor - but so is luck !
No wonder those with stars in their eyes will do just about anything to acquire their fifteen minutes of fame - because that fame is the key to unlock the vault that bestows immense riches on those who achieve fame.
Unfortunately fame and an obscene amount of money do not guarantee a happy life.
There comes a day when a carefully planned stunt goes wrong. When skill deserts a sportsman or sportswoman - when tastes change and audiences turn their back on a popular singing style - when a musician loses touch.
The only advice life can offer is - " Enjoy it while you can ! "
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