Originally Posted by Dude
A gifted athlete has the same experience as a gifted student. It doesn't look like effort for them to hone it, because they have physical advantages that their competitors don't.

I second that. My DD is not a particularly gifted swimmer; she's probably the equivalent of "very bright." But that's enough advantage for her to be speeding through the leveled classes faster than the average kid, and she picks up on new strokes apparently effortlessly. She gets far more reward, with far less effort, than most of her classmates.