Dan Carter: The Life Story Behind Rugby's Perfect Ten

Dan Carter played rugby with a calm that made the hardest job in the game look simple. As a fly-half, the number ten, he had to decide in a split second whether to kick, to pass, or to run, and every decision was watched by millions of people. He made those decisions better than anyone else in history, and he did it for more than a decade, in the biggest games, under the biggest pressure, with a smile that rarely left his face. He is the highest points scorer in Test rugby history, with 1,598 points for New Zealand, and he won two Rugby World Cups, yet the numbers do not tell the whole story. The story is about a quiet boy from a small town in New Zealand who practised kicking until it became perfect, and who then used that skill to lead his country to glory.

He was born on 5 March 1982 in Southbridge, a small farming town south of Christchurch in New Zealand. His parents, Neville and Bev Carter, raised him in a rural community where rugby was part of life, where neighbours knew each other, and where hard work on the land was normal. He grew up playing rugby in the backyard, kicking a ball against a fence, and dreaming of playing for the All Blacks, as many New Zealand boys do. He was not the biggest boy, and he was not the loudest, but he was the most accurate kicker, and he was the calmest under pressure, and those two qualities would define his whole career.

What makes his story special is the way he handled both triumph and heartbreak. He missed the 2011 World Cup through injury, watching from the sidelines as New Zealand won at home without him, and that loss hurt him deeply. He could have given up, or he could have let that disappointment define him. Instead, he worked for four more years, he stayed fit, he stayed focused, and in 2015, at the age of thirty-three, he played the best game of his life in the World Cup final against Australia, kicking, passing, and running his team to victory, and winning the man of the match award. That final was a perfect ending to a long journey, and it showed that patience and hard work can turn heartbreak into triumph.

He was also a modest man who never sought fame for himself. He spoke quietly, he thanked his teammates, and he always said that rugby is a team game. He wrote a book, The Art of Winning, in which he shared lessons about leadership, about handling pressure, and about learning from failure. Those lessons have helped many people, not just rugby players, because they are about how to live well, how to work hard, and how to stay humble when you succeed. His story is a story of a perfect ten, not just in rugby, but in character.

Southbridge, A Small Town, And A Boy Who Kicked All Day

Southbridge is a small town in Canterbury, New Zealand, where life moves slowly, where farms stretch to the horizon, and where rugby is played on cold winter Saturdays. Dan Carter grew up there, the son of Neville and Bev Carter, in a family that loved sport and that supported his dreams from the start. He played rugby for Southbridge from a young age, and he quickly showed a talent for kicking that set him apart. While other boys wanted to run with the ball, Dan wanted to kick it, to practise his goal kicking, and to learn how to place the ball exactly where he wanted it. He spent hours in the backyard, kicking at a target, working on his technique, and learning to kick with both feet, a skill that would help him later.

At school, he attended Ellesmere College and then Christchurch Boys’ High School, a school famous for rugby in New Zealand. Christchurch Boys’ High gave him good coaching, strong teammates, and a chance to play against the best school teams in the country. He was not a flashy player, and he did not try to be. He was a thinking player, a player who read the game, who made good decisions, and who kicked accurately. His coaches noticed that he stayed calm when the game was close, and that he did not panic when his team was behind. That calmness was rare in a teenager, and it marked him out as a future All Black.

He also played cricket and other sports as a boy, which helped his hand-eye coordination and his general fitness, but rugby was always his first love. He watched the All Blacks on television, he dreamed of wearing the black jersey, and he worked toward that dream every day. He was not the biggest player, and he knew he would have to rely on skill, on accuracy, and on intelligence rather than on size. That understanding shaped his training. He practised kicking more than other players, he studied the game more, and he learned to make decisions quickly, because he knew that a fly-half has only a second to decide, and that a wrong decision can cost a game.

By the time he left school, he was already being watched by provincial selectors, and he joined Canterbury, one of the strongest provinces in New Zealand. He played well for Canterbury, and he was soon chosen for the Crusaders, the Super Rugby team based in Christchurch, which was one of the best club teams in the world. The Crusaders gave him a chance to play with and against the best players in the southern hemisphere, and he learned quickly. He was still young, but he was already showing the qualities that would make him great: accuracy, calm, and a deep understanding of the game.

Christchurch Boys’ High, Canterbury, And The Crusaders

At Christchurch Boys’ High School, Dan Carter learned what it meant to play rugby at a high level, with discipline, with teamwork, and with pride in the jersey. The school had a proud rugby tradition, and its teams were expected to win, to play well, and to represent the school with honour. Dan took that seriously, and he worked hard in training, in the classroom, and on the field. He was a good student, a polite boy, and a player who listened to his coaches. He did not seek attention, and he did not boast about his talent. He simply worked, and his work showed in his performances.

He joined Canterbury after school, and he played in the provincial championship, where he faced older, stronger men and learned to handle physical rugby. He was not afraid of contact, even though he was not big, and he tackled bravely, he ran when he had space, and he kicked with accuracy. His performances for Canterbury earned him a place in the Crusaders squad, and he made his Super Rugby debut in 2003. The Crusaders were coached by Robbie Deans, a smart coach who understood how to use a fly-half, and Deans trusted Carter to run the team, to make decisions, and to kick goals. That trust helped Carter grow in confidence, and he soon became the first-choice fly-half for the Crusaders.

With the Crusaders, he won Super Rugby titles in 2005, 2006, and 2008, playing alongside great players like Richie McCaw, who would become his close friend and teammate for New Zealand. The Crusaders were a team built on hard work, on discipline, and on a strong culture, and Carter fitted into that culture perfectly. He was a team player, he worked hard in training, and he never put himself above the team. He also learned from older players, from McCaw, from Andrew Mehrtens, and from others who had played for the All Blacks, and he absorbed their lessons about leadership, about preparation, and about handling pressure.

His success with the Crusaders led to his selection for the All Blacks in 2003, at the age of twenty-one. He made his debut against Wales in Hamilton, and he played well, showing that he belonged at international level. He was chosen for the 2003 World Cup squad, where he played in several games and gained valuable experience, even though New Zealand lost in the semi-final to Australia. That tournament taught him about the pressure of a World Cup, about the need to stay calm in big games, and about the pain of losing when you had hoped to win. Those lessons would stay with him for the rest of his career.

All Blacks Debut And The 2005 Lions Series

Dan Carter’s All Blacks debut in 2003 was the start of a long and remarkable international career that would last for twelve years and 112 Tests. He was a young fly-half learning his trade, and he had to compete with Andrew Mehrtens, an experienced player who had been the All Blacks fly-half for many years. Carter learned from Mehrtens, he watched how he prepared, how he kicked, and how he led the team, and he gradually took over as the first-choice number ten. By 2005, he was the clear starter, and he was ready to show the world what he could do.

The 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand was a defining moment for him. The Lions, made up of the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, came to New Zealand expecting a tough series, and they faced an All Blacks team that was strong, fast, and well coached. Carter was brilliant in the series, especially in the second Test in Wellington, where he scored 33 points, including two tries, and controlled the game from start to finish. That performance is still remembered as one of the greatest by a fly-half in Test history, because he did everything: he kicked goals, he kicked for territory, he passed beautifully, and he ran with the ball when he saw space. The Lions had no answer to him, and New Zealand won the series 3-0.

That series made him a star, and he was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2005, the first of three times he would win that award. He was only twenty-three years old, and he was already being called the best fly-half in the world. He handled that praise with humility, thanking his teammates and his coaches, and saying that he still had much to learn. He was right to say that, because he did keep learning, and he kept improving, year after year, even as he became more famous. His kicking improved, his passing improved, and his decision-making became even better.

The years after 2005 brought more success with the All Blacks, including Tri-Nations titles and wins over all the major teams, but they also brought the pain of the 2007 World Cup, where New Zealand lost to France in the quarter-final in Cardiff. That loss was a shock, and it hurt Carter and his teammates deeply, because they had been favourites to win. Carter learned from that loss, as he had learned from 2003, and he used it to become a better player and a better leader. He understood that a World Cup is a hard tournament to win, and that a team must be ready for every game, not just the final.

The 2011 Heartbreak: Injury At Home And Watching From The Side

The 2011 Rugby World Cup was meant to be Dan Carter’s tournament. It was held in New Zealand, at home, in front of his own fans, and the All Blacks were favourites to win. Carter was at the peak of his powers, he was the best fly-half in the world, and he had waited four years since the disappointment of 2007 to put things right. He played in the early games, he kicked well, and he looked ready to lead New Zealand to the title. Then, in training before a pool game against Canada, he injured his groin, a serious injury that ended his tournament. He was out, and he had to watch from the sidelines as his team played without him.

That injury was one of the hardest moments of his career. He had worked for years for that World Cup, he had dreamed of winning it at home, and suddenly it was gone, because of an injury in training, not even in a game. He has spoken about how hard it was to watch his teammates play, to sit in the stands, and to feel helpless while they fought for the title. He wanted to help, but he could not, and that feeling of helplessness stayed with him for a long time. He also had to deal with the pain of the injury itself, and with the long recovery that followed, which kept him out of rugby for months.

New Zealand went on to win the 2011 World Cup, beating France in a close final in Auckland, and Carter celebrated with his teammates, but it was a bittersweet celebration for him. He was happy for his country, and he was proud of his team, but he had not played in the final, and he had not contributed on the field in the way he had hoped. He has said that winning the Cup as a spectator was not the same as winning it as a player, and that he wanted another chance to win it properly, on the field, as the fly-half. That desire drove him for the next four years, through training, through injuries, and through the hard work of staying at the top.

He also learned a great deal from that injury about his body, about preparation, and about the importance of looking after himself. He worked with coaches and with medical staff to understand why the injury had happened, and how he could prevent it happening again. He changed his training, he worked on his strength and flexibility, and he became more careful about how he prepared for games. Those changes helped him stay fit for the next World Cup, and they also helped him play at a high level into his thirties, when many fly-halves have already retired. The 2011 injury, painful as it was, made him a wiser and stronger player.

Four More Years, Racing In France, And The Road To 2015

After 2011, Dan Carter faced a choice. He could retire from international rugby, content with what he had achieved, or he could keep going for another four years, to try to win the World Cup in 2015. He chose to keep going, because he wanted to win the Cup on the field, and because he believed he still had something to give. He was twenty-nine years old, and he knew that four more years would be hard, but he was determined. He signed a contract that allowed him to play in France for a short time, and he continued to play for the Crusaders and the All Blacks, working toward 2015.

He played for Perpignan in France in 2008-09, a short spell that gave him experience of European rugby, and he later played for Racing 92 in Paris after the 2015 World Cup. Those experiences in France taught him about different styles of rugby, about playing in a foreign country, and about adapting to new teammates and new coaches. He enjoyed France, he learned some French, and he became a popular player there, because French fans love a good fly-half, and Carter was one of the best. He also played in Japan for Kobelco Steelers later in his career, showing that he was willing to travel and to learn from different rugby cultures.

In the years between World Cups, he continued to play brilliantly for the All Blacks, winning the Rugby Championship, beating all the major teams, and reaching 100 Tests in 2013. He won World Rugby Player of the Year again in 2012, showing that he was still the best in the world, even after his injury. He also dealt with more injuries, including a leg injury in 2013, but he kept coming back, because he was focused on 2015. His teammates respected him for that focus, and his coaches trusted him to lead the team in the biggest games.

As 2015 approached, he was thirty-three years old, and many people wondered if he could still play at the highest level. He answered those doubts with his performances, kicking accurately, passing well, and controlling games with a calm that came from experience. He was not as fast as he had been at twenty-three, but he was smarter, and he used his brain to make up for any loss of speed. He was ready for the World Cup in England, and he was determined to make it his tournament, to finish his All Blacks career in the best possible way.

The 2015 Final: A Perfect Game Against Australia

The 2015 Rugby World Cup final, played at Twickenham in London on 31 October 2015, was Dan Carter’s greatest game. New Zealand faced Australia, their great rivals, in front of a huge crowd, and the game was close for much of the time. Carter controlled the game from fly-half, kicking goals, kicking for territory, and making the right decisions at the right moments. He scored 19 points in the final, including a drop goal from long range that is still remembered as one of the great kicks in World Cup history, because it came at a moment when Australia were coming back into the game, and it steadied New Zealand and gave them breathing space.

He was named man of the match in the final, a fitting award for a player who had waited so long for that moment. New Zealand won the game 34-17, becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Cups, and the first team to win three World Cups in total. Carter lifted the trophy with his teammates, and he celebrated with a joy that was easy to see. This time, he had won it on the field, as the fly-half, as the leader, and as the man of the match. It was the perfect ending to his All Blacks career, and it was a reward for four years of hard work after the heartbreak of 2011.

After the final, he was named World Rugby Player of the Year for the third time, in 2015, an award that recognised not just his performance in the final, but his whole career. He retired from international rugby after the World Cup, having played 112 Tests and scored 1,598 points, a record that still stands. He left the All Blacks as a legend, as the greatest fly-half in history, and as a player who had won everything there was to win in rugby. His teammates spoke about him with respect, his coaches spoke about him with admiration, and fans around the world spoke about him with love.

He continued to play club rugby after 2015, first with Racing 92 in France, where he won the European Cup in 2016, and then with Kobelco Steelers in Japan, where he won the Japanese league. He retired from professional rugby in 2021, at the age of thirty-eight, after a long and remarkable career. He had played in New Zealand, France, and Japan, he had won World Cups, Super Rugby titles, and European titles, and he had done it all with humility and grace. His retirement was marked by tributes from around the world, from players, coaches, and fans who recognised him as one of the greats.

The Art Of Winning, Family, And Life After Rugby

After retiring, Dan Carter wrote a book, The Art of Winning, published in 2019, in which he shared the lessons he had learned from his career. The book talks about leadership, about handling pressure, about learning from failure, and about the importance of teamwork, and it has been read by many people outside rugby, including business leaders and young athletes. He writes honestly about his injuries, about his doubts, and about the hard times in his career, and he explains how he overcame them by staying calm, by working hard, and by trusting his teammates. The book is a reflection of the man himself: honest, humble, and wise.

He is married to Honor Carter, a former hockey player, and they have four children, three sons and a daughter. He is a proud father, and he often speaks about how much his family means to him, and how they supported him through the hard times in his career. His family was there when he was injured in 2011, when he was working toward 2015, and when he retired, and their support helped him stay focused and stay positive. He has said that becoming a father changed him, making him more patient and more aware of what matters in life beyond rugby.

He has also worked in business and in coaching, sharing his knowledge with young players and with companies that want to learn about leadership and teamwork. He has worked with the All Blacks in a mentoring role, helping young fly-halves learn the skills he mastered, and he has taken part in charity work in New Zealand. He is a respected figure in New Zealand, not just for his rugby, but for the way he lives his life, with humility, with kindness, and with a commitment to helping others. He is often asked to speak at events, and he does so with the same calm and clarity he showed on the field.

Today, Dan Carter is remembered as the greatest fly-half in rugby history, a player who could kick, pass, run, and lead with equal skill. His record of 1,598 Test points is unlikely to be broken soon, and his performances in 2005 and 2015 are still watched by young players who want to learn how to play the position. Yet his legacy is not just about points. It is about the way he handled pressure, the way he came back from injury, and the way he led his team with calm and humility. He is a role model for young athletes in New Zealand and around the world, and his story will be told for many years to come.

My Take:

I think Dan Carter is the best fly-half I have ever seen, and I say that because he made the hardest job in rugby look easy. The fly-half has to decide in a second, and every decision is watched by millions. Carter made those decisions calmly, again and again, for twelve years. I have watched his games many times, and I still marvel at his kicking. He could kick a goal from fifty metres, he could kick for the corner with perfect accuracy, and he could drop a goal when his team needed it most. That accuracy did not happen by accident. It came from hours of practice in Southbridge, kicking a ball against a fence, and from a lifetime of work.

What I admire most about him is his calm. He never looked panicked, even when the game was close, even when the crowd was loud, and even when the pressure was huge. In the 2015 final, when Australia were coming back, he kicked a drop goal from long range, and he did it as if he were practising in his backyard. That calm is a gift, but it is also a skill, learned through practice and through experience. I think young players can learn from that calm, because panic makes bad decisions, and calm makes good ones. Carter was calm, and his team trusted him because of it.

I also think about 2011, and about how hard it must have been to miss the World Cup at home. He had worked for four years, he was at his best, and then an injury in training ended it all. I cannot imagine how painful that must have been, to watch your team play without you, to sit in the stands, and to feel helpless. Many players would have given up after that, or would have retired, feeling that their chance had gone. Carter did not. He worked for four more years, he stayed fit, and he won the Cup in 2015. That is a story of patience and resilience that I find deeply inspiring.

His performance in the 2015 final is one of my favourite moments in sport. He was thirty-three, he was not the fastest player on the field, but he was the smartest, and he controlled the game from start to finish. He scored 19 points, he kicked a drop goal that steadied his team, and he was named man of the match. That is a perfect ending to a career, and it is a reward for all the hard work after 2011. I think about how happy he must have felt, lifting the trophy, knowing that he had won it on the field, as the fly-half, after waiting so long. That happiness is easy to understand, and it makes me smile even now.

I also admire his humility. He won World Player of the Year three times, he scored more Test points than anyone in history, and he won two World Cups, yet he always thanked his teammates first. He never boasted, he never said he was the best, and he always said rugby is a team game. That humility is rare in a star, and it is one of the reasons his teammates loved him. They knew he respected them, and they played hard for him because of it. I think that is a lesson for anyone who succeeds. Success is sweeter when it is shared, and Carter shared his success with his team.

His book, The Art of Winning, is another thing I respect. He did not just retire and disappear. He wrote about what he learned, about leadership, about pressure, and about failure, and he shared those lessons with others. He was honest about his injuries, about his doubts, and about the hard times, and that honesty helps people who are going through similar things. I think that is a generous act, to share your story so that others can learn from it, and Carter did it well. His book is not just for rugby players. It is for anyone who wants to learn how to win, and how to handle losing.

I also think about his family, and about how much they supported him. His wife Honor, his children, and his parents were there through the good times and the bad, and they helped him stay grounded. He is a proud father, and he speaks about his children with love. That family support matters, because a rugby career is long and hard, with injuries, with travel, and with pressure. Having a stable family at home makes it easier to focus on the field, and Carter had that stability. I respect him for valuing his family as much as his rugby.

His kicking technique is something I think about a lot, because it is so perfect. He approached the ball calmly, he struck it cleanly, and he followed through smoothly, and the ball went where he wanted it to go, again and again. That technique was built over years of practice, and it is a model for young kickers. I would tell a young fly-half to watch Carter’s kicking, to copy his routine, and to practise until it becomes automatic. That is how you become a great kicker, not by talent alone, but by repetition and by care.

I also think about his partnership with Richie McCaw, because it was one of the great partnerships in rugby. McCaw was the captain, the forward who led from the front, and Carter was the fly-half who controlled the game from behind. Together, they led the All Blacks for a decade, winning World Cups, winning series, and setting records. They trusted each other completely, and they respected each other deeply. That partnership shows that rugby is a team game, and that the best teams are built on trust between players who understand each other without needing to talk.

There is a part of his story that makes me think about age and experience. At thirty-three, in 2015, he was not the youngest player on the field, and he was not the fastest, but he was the wisest. He used his experience to read the game, to make good decisions, and to stay calm when younger players might have panicked. That is a lesson about ageing in sport. You may lose speed, but you can gain wisdom, and wisdom can be more valuable than speed in the biggest games. Carter proved that in the 2015 final, and young players should remember it.

I also admire the way he handled the 2007 World Cup loss to France. That was a shock, and it hurt the whole team, but Carter did not blame others, and he did not give up. He learned from it, he worked harder, and he came back stronger. That ability to learn from a loss, rather than to be defeated by it, is one of the most important qualities in sport, and Carter had it in abundance. He lost in 2003, he lost in 2007, he was injured in 2011, and he still won in 2015. That is a story of persistence that I find deeply moving.

If I were talking to a young player who wanted to be a fly-half, I would tell them to study Dan Carter. I would tell them to practise kicking every day, to learn to read the game, and to stay calm under pressure. I would tell them to be a good teammate, to thank their forwards, and to put the team first. I would also tell them to be humble, to work hard, and to never give up after an injury or a loss. Those are the lessons of Carter’s career, and they are lessons that apply to any sport, and to life as well.

I also think about his time in France and Japan, and about how willing he was to learn from other cultures. He played in France, he learned French, he played in Japan, and he embraced those experiences with an open mind. That willingness to travel, to learn, and to adapt is a good example for young players, who often stay in one place and never see the wider world. Carter saw the wider world, and he grew as a person because of it. I respect that curiosity and that openness.

His record of 1,598 points is a remarkable achievement, and it is unlikely to be broken soon. Yet I think his legacy is more than a number. It is about the way he played, with calm, with accuracy, and with humility, and about the way he led, with trust and with care for his teammates. He is a role model for young athletes in New Zealand and around the world, and his story will be told for many years, not just because he scored points, but because he showed how to be a great player and a good man at the same time.

I also want to be honest about something. He was not perfect, and he had games where he did not play well, where his kicking was off, or where his team lost. He also faced criticism at times, as every great player does. Yet he handled that criticism with grace, he worked harder, and he came back stronger. That is what makes him great, not perfection, but the ability to learn from imperfection and to keep going. I think that is a more useful lesson than perfection, because none of us are perfect, and we all need to learn how to keep going after a bad day.

In the end, I think Dan Carter’s story is about patience, calm, and hard work. He waited four years after 2011, he stayed calm in the biggest games, and he worked hard every day to be the best. He won the World Cup in 2015, he set records that may never be broken, and he did it all with humility and grace. I hope young players remember him, not just for his points, but for his character, because his character is what made him truly great. He is the perfect ten, in rugby and in life, and I am glad I got to watch him play.

I also think about the way he practised, because it tells me a lot about his character. He did not just kick a few balls and go home. He kicked hundreds, he worked on his routine, and he paid attention to small details like his run-up, his plant foot, and his follow-through. That attention to detail is what separates good kickers from great ones, and Carter was great because he cared about details that other players ignored. I think that lesson applies to any skill, not just kicking.

Another thing I admire is how he treated younger players. He did not see them as threats. He helped them, he talked to them, and he shared what he had learned. When a young fly-half came into the All Blacks squad, Carter welcomed him, because he knew that the team would be stronger if the next generation learned well. That generosity is rare, and it shows that he cared about New Zealand rugby, not just about his own place in it.

I think about his time with the Crusaders, too, and about the culture of that team. The Crusaders were built on hard work, on humility, and on a strong sense of community in Christchurch, especially after the earthquakes that hit the city in 2010 and 2011. Carter played through those hard times, and he helped his city heal by giving people something to cheer for. That connection between a team and a city matters, and Carter understood it deeply.

Finally, I want to say that Dan Carter reminds me that greatness is often quiet. He did not shout, he did not show off, and he did not seek attention. He simply played rugby beautifully, day after day, year after year, and he let his performances speak for him. That quiet greatness is the kind I admire most, because it does not need applause to be real. It is real because it is built on work, on calm, and on care for others, and it lasts long after the applause fades.

I also think about the way he is remembered in Southbridge, his small home town, where people still talk about the boy who kicked a ball against a fence for hours. That local pride matters, because it shows that a great player can come from a small place, and that a small town can produce a world champion. Southbridge will always be proud of Dan Carter, and he will always be proud of Southbridge, and that connection is part of his story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was Dan Carter born and where did he go to school?

Dan Carter was born on 5 March 1982 in Southbridge, a small farming town south of Christchurch in New Zealand. He attended Ellesmere College and then Christchurch Boys’ High School, a school famous for rugby.

Why is Dan Carter called the perfect ten in rugby?

He is called the perfect ten because he played fly-half, wearing number ten, with rare calm, accuracy and decision-making. He could kick goals, kick for territory, pass and run, and he controlled games better than any other fly-half of his time.

How many points did Dan Carter score for the All Blacks?

He scored 1,598 points in 112 Tests for the All Blacks, the most by any player in Test rugby history. He also won World Rugby Player of the Year three times, in 2005, 2012 and 2015.

What happened to Dan Carter at the 2011 Rugby World Cup?

He injured his groin in training before a pool game and missed the rest of the tournament, watching from the sidelines as New Zealand won the Cup at home. The injury was a deep disappointment, but it drove him to work for four more years toward 2015.

How did Dan Carter perform in the 2015 World Cup final?

In the final against Australia at Twickenham he scored 19 points, including a famous long-range drop goal, and was named man of the match. New Zealand won 34-17, becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Cups.

What is Dan Carter’s book The Art of Winning about?

Published in 2019, the book shares lessons from his career about leadership, handling pressure, learning from failure and teamwork. He writes honestly about injuries and doubts, making it useful for athletes and for people in business and everyday life.