This research supports what many successful organizations have known for some time: elite athletes perform at elevated levels in the workplace. For the first time, this research explores the questions of why and how athletes with elite experience in their sport are able to perform and produce at elevated levels in their chosen profession. The implications of the findings lend credence to the argument against elimination of athletic opportunity at colleges and universities across the USA. In addition, the data indicates that organizations should seek candidates with elite athletic experience in their personal histories.