Sports really are a metaphor for life. Whether it’s a team sport, surrounded by your friends and facing off against an opponent you need to at least respect — or if it’s just you against yourself and the clock. Pensacola is an odd oasis for sport, with a seemingly inordinate number of professional and world-class athletes. But they all have one thing in common — they started at the lowest level and worked their way up to become the best the world has ever seen.