Boy, lots of good points. I think there's a lot to be said for determination, grit, etc in keeping going. But... what good is it to be the most gung-ho minded, determined, grizzled, perfect person for the job, if you weigh 800lbs and can't get out of bed? There are LOTS of stories about folks stepping up, about SpecOps guys that pass training being the runt of the litter, of poor nobodies from Kenya winning huge marathon money. No one cares if the Olympians kick ass for 20 years - duh, they train for it. An exaggerated example, of course, but they tend to combine mental and physical strengths.

Physical fitness IS important... but it's not the be-all and end-all. It makes translating your mental fortitude into actions easier. Sure, most of *could* physically walk 30 miles. But put a sleet storm, 3 ridge lines, a broken rib in the mix, and most of us probably wouldn't. And those of us who did might not be smart enough to hunker down for a couple hours to warm back up.

Another reason physical fitness helps - it wouldn't do much good to walk the 30 miles, get out of trouble, and keel over from your heart attack.