Participating in extreme sports is one of life’s riskier pursuits and as such it’s sensible to get cover in case an accident befalls you.

But rather than encouraging you to cease thrill seeking; we think getting your fix of adrenaline is good for you, particularly if you can make a career out of it. Here are some notable stars of the extreme sports world that have done just that.

Shaun White

The Californian, dubbed the “Flying Tomato” because of his flowing red locks, became the first athlete to compete and win at both the summer and winter X-Games in two different sports; snowboarding and skateboarding.

The 26-year-old is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, the winner of Best Male Action Sport Athlete five years in a row and he has his own video game; Shaun White Snowboarding.

White’s success has been achieved despite being born with a congenital heart defect and needing two heart operations by the age of five.

Dave Mirra

Widely regarded as the greatest ever BMX rider, the man they call “Miracle Boy” has won a medal at every X-Games since the inaugural competition in 1995.

It’s no surprise then that he holds the record for the most X-Games medals with 24 and can boast the biggest collection of golds thanks to his tally of 14.

It’s not been plain riding for Mirra though; his career was almost over before it had begun when he was hit by a drunk driver in 1993. Not only did he survive, but he thrived.

Kelly Slater

When Slater was starring as recurring character Jimmy Slade on Baywatch in the early 90’s he couldn’t have imagined that he’d one day be the most decorated surfer to have ever lived.

He’s since been crowned surfing’s World Champion a record 11 times, including five consecutive victories in the mid 90’s and in doing so has become both the oldest and youngest title victor.

Like others in the extreme sports arena he’s been immortalised as the eponymous star of a video game but unlike the rest he’s formed a band and gigged at the Sydney Opera House.

Mike Schultz

“Monster” Mike Schultz has won medals at the X-Games riding both snowmobiles and motorbikes. It’s a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that he achieved it wearing a prosthetic leg that he built himself.

He made the limb after his leg was amputated following a snowmobile crash in December 2008 and he’s since started a business manufacturing prosthetics for action sports athletes.

Schultz’s success saw him gain entry into the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame in 2010.

Tony Hawk

The “Birdman” is the daddy of the extreme sports world; a skateboarding icon who’s built a business empire and now has an estimated net worth of £75m.

As world champion for 12 consecutive years and the first skater to land the fabled 900 (a two-and-a-half rotations flip) he inspired a generation of boarders including his protégé Shaun White.

His video game series has spawned 16 titles and the Tony Hawk Foundation has donated more than £2m to build over 400 skate parks in under privileged areas of the US.

Johnny Knoxville

Philip John Clapp made his name as the de facto leader of the merry ensemble of pranksters and stunt artists on MTV’s Jackass. He may not be a sports star per se but there’s no doubting his extreme credentials.

His show reel includes being run over by a speeding car, getting tasered to test self-defence equipment, and knocking himself unconscious in a high-speed golf kart crash all in the name of entertainment.

He’s since launched a Hollywood career, with Men in Black II and Dukes of Hazzard amongst his most notable credits.

Adam Davies is a Digital Marketing Assistant writing on behalf of Confused.com cheap life insurance.

Photo Credits: Wikipedia

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