Olympic Fever?

A client asked today if there was such a thing as a Pilates competition. It was early (6:00 am), but the question didn't sit right with me. The more I thought about it, the less comfortable I was...now that it's late, it's downright bugging me.

Has Olympic fever -- or fervor -- taken hold? Does every physical pursuit require a tangible measurement of who is best? How would you measure that in Pilates? Who can do the most exercises? Who is the fastest? Who can do the most difficult exercise? Most difficult variations? Least tension/Most tension? Best form? Who are the judges and what is their criteria? Is there a time limit/reward? Is the competition for Mat only, by apparatus, or a combination of multiple pieces of equipment? Are there rounds? It makes my head hurt to think of all the potential variations and protests to equitability.

After spinning on the larger picture, my attention came back to the client who asked the question. What is his motivation? He's a runner, accustomed to competing in races. Does he need external competition to motivate him? If so, how would we motivate him during a regular Pilates session? Does he need to "beat" someone else in order to do his best?

Isn't competing with oneself, doing your best, truly mastering each new exercise and variation, doing better than last time, isn't that challenge enough? Does someone else have to "lose" in order for you to "win?"

One of the things I had appreciated about Pilates was that each individual was on his/her own path, according to his/her needs and capabilities. Doesn't the competition idea dispel that?

The thought of a Pilates competition doesn't sit well. Can't explain it any better than that.