It’s impossible not to marvel at the abilities of top-flight athletes. From gymnasts to basketball players to sprinters to sharpshooters, their physical prowess and skill can leave us normal folk speechless, with feats we didn’t even know the human body was capable of. 

The greatest among them, however, sometimes transcend the physical. They can become beloved, reviled, larger-than-life figures, a pantheon unto themselves, beyond records and achievements. These figures transcend the sports world and flirt with myth, their accomplishments—in both feats and barrier-breaking—growing with each passing generation. Sometimes they’re legendary the world over, sometimes they’re local heroes. 

Naturally, many are immortalized in statues or plaques or childhood homes or early playing fields. Here are 13 unusual places that honor some of these sporting greats.