How does one become an "athlete" anyway?

I will preface this by saying that both my boys are very active and outdoorsy kids. I am not trying to compare them, brag about what they can do or how amazing they are (although I am biased and they ARE amazing). I just want to dissect things a little.


Both boys started walking before 11 months though Ty hung onto his Frankenstein walk until he started riding his balance bike at 18 months. Owen went from walking to running like the wind with 2 months.
Owen started riding a bike without training wheels at age 3 years and 2 months. Ty did the same at 2 years and 2 months.
Both of them started riding motorcycles at the same time they learned to bike.
We've been hiking with them since they were born but they usually run while we walk.

We are now entering the realm of sports. We tried soccer with Owen at 2 and a half and he only got frustrated with it. We put all of that on the back burner but still supported their desire to ride motorcycles and bicycles.
Owen has been going to skateparks, jumping and doing wheelies on his bicycle for about 2 years now and he recently got a taste of dirt bike racing. It seems to be something that will continue for the rest of the foreseeable future. Ty loves wheeled sports as well.

We recently introduced them to Tae Kwon Do and they are totally into it. Owen learns incredibly fast and his body can do things that continue to amaze me every day. Ty charms everyone, clowns around and his little 3 year old body is shaping up at warp speed under the remaining adorable baby blubber.

Let's stay on Owen for a few minutes. He now does push ups, chin ups and sit ups for fun. He plays on the gymnastics rings we have hanging from the basement ceiling on an everyday basis and does amazing things on them (I mean, I am not going to try to compare and say that he could be the next Paul Hamm or anything but you get my point). He is teaching himself cartwheels, head and hand stands and wants to walk on his hands.
We went to the open gym at Dynamite Gymnastics Center today and he taught himself how to do a front flip from a trampoline and land on a soft mat and then the foam pit. A few times he was so close to landing on his feet, it was nuts! He asked one of the coaches to show him stuff to help him walk on his hands and she seemed impressed and thrilled at his and his body's ability to learn.
Taking away the "sell-ish" part of this whole thing, she really encouraged me to sign him up for their TNT (tumbling and trampoline) class and that she had no doubt that after 1 class, he would probably have to move up to the advanced TNT class. To quote her "It's amazing what this little kid can do!"
I mentioned to her that we just started a martial arts class and she seemed glad to hear that and went on to say that more and more martial artists and dancer end up cross training with gymnastic because a lot of the body requirements are so similar. She seemed certain that Owen would go on to compete and be amazing at it (whether martial art, dance or gymnastics).

So what am I supposed to do? Does that mean that my kids ... or at least Owen for now ... are "destined" to become athletes? Is it genetic, learned? Is there a list out there that mentions all the traits that a person labeled "athlete" needs to have?
Then, what sport? They also love the pool and are learning how to swim ... so one can't be "the best" in every sport even though Owen certainly seems to be great at a lot of them right now. I suppose that it takes trying a few and deciding which one they like best.

We're not there yet and without stressing myself out, we are going to stick with our tae kwon do and bike/motorbike riding for now. Gymnastics coaches are a much harsher breed. I will just hope that I am not "wasting" their talents somehow. Life was so much simpler when it was all about hiking, tree climbing and digging in the dirt ... wait ... that's still 90% of our life!!! Fabulous!!