Last week, TIME Magazine released 2010 TIME 100: The World’s Most Influential People.  I always enjoy reviewing this list because it’s an opportunity for me to step out of my USA bubble and expose myself to international trailblazers and influencers in art, politics, business, music, medicine, philanthropy, sports, etc.

This year, I was particularly interested to learn how many athletes or individuals tied to sports made the list.  As it turns out, there are five including two Americans.  As much as we like to think we rule the sports world, TIME Magazine thinks otherwise.  Forty percent isn’t exactly world domination.

Below includes the Five Most Influential Athletes or Heroes, per TIME Magazine, along with a blurb providing context as to why they made the list.  I also added my two cents and shared when I discovered these athletes.  I was hip to four of the five.  Not bad.

1.  Kim Yu-Na:  Figure Skater
This year I hardly watched the Winter Olympics.  I have no idea why I was less interested than I’ve been in the past.  The only event I watched with slight regularity was figure skating, my favorite Winter Olympic event.  I’m always in awe by the grace and athleticism that the skaters exhibit.  The way these athletes toss fear aside and just trust in their partner or themselves is unfathomable, for me at least.  The one skater that stood out to me was Kim Yu-Na.  Her routines were jaw dropping.  It’s good to know that I wasn’t the only person captivated by her movement.  She is one of Time’s Most Influential People in the World.

Check out what Silver Olympic Medalist, Michelle Kwan, had to say about Kim Yu-Na,

I couldn’t have been more surprised or honored last summer when Korean figure skater Kim Yu-Na told me that as a 7-year-old, she was so inspired by my skating at the 1998 Winter Games that she memorized my skating routines, pretending to be at the Olympics. Twelve years later, she no longer had to pretend. I have never seen a skater with such a combination of artistry and athleticism. From the first notes of her sassy James Bond medley to the closing Gershwin strains, Kim’s inspiring performances in Vancouver changed the face of figure skating forever. Those 6½ minutes on the ice left not only a mark in the record book but also an indelible impression on millions of young girls around the world. For Kim, the dream that began as a 7-year-old has been realized. For these girls, thanks to her, a dream and journey are just beginning.

2.  Phil Mickelson:  Golfer
I’ll admit, I didn’t really start following golf until Tiger Woods stepped on the scene.  In my opinion, no one that looked like me participated in the sport, so why should I care.  Also, it was kind of off limits in my mind.  Growing up, my Dad used to take me to the basketball court and we’d shoot hoops for hours.  Golf wasn’t as accessible as other sports that I was more familiar with.  There was a dress code, you had to wake up early to get on the course, it went on for hours, it moved slow….it was just boring.   I lacked an appreciation for the sport and how challenging it was until I started to watch Tiger Woods.  As a result of following golf more, I became familiar with some of its other greats, including Phil Mickelson.  I couldn’t understand how “this guy” could give Tiger such a run for his money if Tiger was supposed to be the best.  Last month, I was glued to the TV, like most of the country, waiting to see if Tiger was going to pull off a comeback or if Lefty was going to win another green jacket.  So glad Mickelson held on for the win.  Couldn’t have been happier for him.

Here’s what another golf great, Jack Nicklaus, had to say about Phil Mickelson,

Now that I am five years removed from competitive golf, I, like many of you, have simply become a fan of the game. I have long enjoyed the engaging personality of Phil Mickelson, 39, and the smile that has endeared him to many fans. We have all celebrated Phil’s victories and cried with him over the struggles faced by his wife Amy and his mother. Family has always been my priority, and their presence outside the ropes has underlined every win. After he won this year’s Masters, I imagine that slipping into a third green jacket would not have meant nearly as much to Phil had he not first slipped into the embrace of his family. That’s the way it should be. My wife Barbara and I are proud to call Amy and Phil friends. (via Jack Nicklaus, who’s won a record 18 major golf championships)

3.  Didier Drogba:  Soccer/Football Player
If you’re unfamiliar with Didier Drogba, get familiar.  Or, if you think you’ve heard his name somewhere before it may be because he was just featured on the Vanity Fair cover alongside Christiano Ronaldo, for their World Cup issue.  He’s definitely someone to follow when next month’s tournament gets underway.

There are six African nations competing in the World Cup.  To date, no African nation has ever won the tournament, but experts say that if it were to happen this year, Ivory Coast would be the team to do it, and the reason for that is Drogba.  He’s not only carrying the weight of his country on his shoulders, but an entire continent.  What pressure!

Read what Ebben Harrell had to say about Drogba and why he means so much to the sport and his fellow countrymen,

If soccer is a religion in England, then the Slug and Lettuce pub in Putney is its Vatican. There, over warm beer and soggy fries, middle-aged men pontificate on everything from the inherent sinfulness of the offside trap to the fallibility of Wayne Rooney’s left foot. But like church officials confronted with Galileo’s telescope, football’s high priests can’t quite make sense of Didier Drogba. “He’s a weapon, not a footballer,” says one. “A specimen,” says another. “The scariest footballer in the world.”

Drogba, 32, a striker for England’s Chelsea Football Club and the captain of the Côte d’Ivoire team, has shown the world what’s possible when power and grace fuse on the soccer pitch. Imagine the body of an NBA star with feet as nimble as a prima ballerina’s. When the World Cup kicks off in South Africa in June, he will carry the hopes of a continent as Africa’s best-known soccer star. (West African fans will toast him with a beer glass called the Drogba. It’s nearly twice the size of a normal mug.)

No one knows the rickety and high-spirited but often heartbreaking touring bus that is African soccer better than Drogba. At the 2006 World Cup, his homeland ravaged by civil war, he organized a statement from the Elephants, as the Ivorian national team is referred to, calling for peace. Many credit the ensuing calm for allowing reconciliation to begin. At a match last March, 22 Ivorians were killed in the crush to see their beloved heroes play. After the game, Drogba resolved to donate every dollar he earns from endorsements to a charity he set up to build new hospitals in the country.

Drogba is conflicted about his stardom; the same love of No. 11 that brought Ivorians together in 2006 also led to the fatal tumult last year. “I’d like the country to ultimately be able to deal with political problems itself,” he says in his soft, French-accented English. “It’s not really good to depend on the win or defeat of the national team. That means there is something wrong.”

On the pitch, Drogba is known for the strength with which he holds off opposing defenders; it’s that awesome ability that scares and baffles the high priests at the Slug and Lettuce. But why should it surprise them? This sensitive young man already carries so much of Africa’s weight on his wide, sturdy shoulders.

4.  Sachin Tendulkar:  Cricketer
I’ll be honest, I had no idea who Sachin Tendulkar was before discovering him on TIME’s list.  Admittedly, I’m a little a green when it comes to cricket (no pun intended, well kind of…). So, I searched for him on YouTube and there were over 4,000 results.  No big deal.  Fans love him for his hitting ability.  After watching a few videos,  I recognized how he sent balls flying at high speed, which caused endless frustration by his fellow cricketers on defense, further causing his extremely celebratory fans to go crazy in the stands.  That kind of reaction does not get lost in translation across sports boarders.  I understand his appeal, but if you need further convincing, Tendulkar amassed over 160K Twitter followers in less than 48 hours.  These numbers tell the whole story. In a society where popularity is judged on the number of Twitter followers or Facebook friends you have, that’s major.

Here’s what New York Times best-seller Deepak Chopra had to say about Sachin Tendulkar,

In the history of cricket, only one man has scored a double century — 200 runs — in a One Day International match, and his name is Sachin Tendulkar. To millions of Indians and countless fans around the world, this act, which caps a career of record-breaking feats, arouses a sense of awe.

Cricket casts the tiniest shadow on the American sports scene, but globally it stokes the fire in people’s souls. Inherited from imperial England, the world’s second most watched team sport has become a symbol of beating the colonials at their own game. Sports heroes such as Tendulkar, 37, stand for national dignity in a way that perhaps only a postcolonial nation can understand. And feel grateful for.

5.  Serena Williams:  Tennis Player
I remember when Serena was known as Venus’ younger sister that also showed signs of being a decent tennis player. How good she’d become was still unknown.  I also remember sitting in my parents’ living room, watching Serena play, and debating my brother about Serena being a better player than Venus.  He disagreed and we went at it.  I think he dismissed my point of view because he was the athlete, and I was the younger sister.  But I stood my ground because I knew I was right.  Fast forward 10-15 years later and this is no longer up for debate.  Serena has undoubtedly proven to be the superior Williams sister, as well as female tennis player of my generation.

Her power, focus, and consistency is not to be messed with.  I love that she shuts down her critics that say she’s not devoted to tennis.  Yes, Serena has interests off the court and I applaud her for doing so.   If she wants to open schools in Africa, she should.  If she wants to pursue fashion, or become an actress or a nail technician, she should!  If she can balance everything and still be at the top of her game, she should do it all! Serena is so good that when it’s time for her to redirect her focus on to the court, she turns on her tennis switch and lights it up.  I have no doubt that when the French Open starts later this month, she’ll be ready to take out every opponent, Venus included.

Here’s what Billie Jean King, tennis champ and social-justice pioneer, is a co-founder of World Team Tennis and the founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation, had to say about my girl,

Serena Williams is one of those rare champions who have transcended sports and impacted our society. In tennis, she is as focused as she has ever been at any point in her career, and it shows. (She recently picked up her 12th Grand Slam title, the same number I won.)

But in addition to the people who follow her on the court, she has a growing legion of fans outside the sport. Serena, 28, is committed to making a difference in the lives of others. Her work with children in Kenya and here in the U.S. stresses the importance of education.

Through her charitable efforts, people are seeing her in a larger context. She has several interests — yes, tennis is one of them — but it is this new combination of success on the court and stability in her life that is creating new opportunities, for her and the people whose lives she touches.

Click here to read about the other 95 Most Influential People in the World.

Source:  TIME Magazine