TV Reviews : ‘Champion’ Spotlights the Potential Within Us All

“The Champion Within,” airing at 8 tonight on channels 28, 15 and 24, is an excellent choice to launch this season’s “Infinite Voyage” series.

A slight departure from the science series’ usual fare, “Champion”--a look at researchers who are using athletes as living laboratories to better understand the human body and make it function more efficiently--is a well-paced show that will hit home with viewers who share the national passion for physical fitness.

But there is more to this hourlong documentary than just a narrow focus on already exceptional athletes trying to perform better. Writer-producer Richard J. Wells has taken “Champion” a step further, showing how the benefits of the research can apply to just about everybody.

Case in point: the segment on Dr. Peter Cavanagh. A researcher at Penn State, Cavanagh initially was concerned simply with improving running shoes. This led to efforts to design shoes for patients with severe medical problems. In “Champions,” Cavanagh is seen working with a diabetic who is endangered by an ulcerated foot as a result of losing feeling in her feet. Cavanagh’s custom-fit tennis shoe will help protect her and restore some of her lost mobility.

Mobility is something that athletes take for granted, but the ability to get about can make a major difference in the quality of life of an older person. “One of the myths is that as we get older, our ability to respond to exercise is reduced,” says Dr. Bill Evans of the USDA Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston. “That’s simply not true.” Evans’ test group of octogenarians showed the same increases in muscle size and strength after aggressive training as did young people--a happy proof that it’s never too late to start exercising.

Much of the appeal of “Champion” (which also will air Monday on KTTV Channel 11) is its skill in imparting an understanding of our innate potential. The human body is capable of performing remarkable feats--in everyday life. As this show amply demonstrates, we can all exceed our expectations, push the limits of our self-imposed boundaries.