This post is part of
an inspiration series
sponsored by Veer.

Athletes are a special type of human. As someone who spends more time than I’d like to mention sitting in front of glowing screens each day, professional athletes, for their ability to use their bodies to accomplish what they do, seem nothing short of superheroes. So, we’re especially big fans of these digitally manipulated pieces that depict athletes as being larger than life.

This photograph is part of an incredible set called “Freddy Olympics,” for which the artists  created intense installations to pair with each athlete. Aside from being completely striking, these installations visually depict each athlete’s special brand of superhuman ability (whether it’s being a human tornado, or a sprinter with race car mechanics). Above, the “tornado” is made from carefully pieced hammers and heavy tools. Click here for a look at the construction of this piece.

If you watched cartoons when you were younger, you remember how The Road Runner would abruptly race off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. Visually, we all know this means that this dust cloud connotes speed. Above, we have a visual equivalent of that idea, but much (much) more beautiful. This project was made by a studio that describes themselves as “small and lethal.” We’ve seen a technique similar to this happen by dropping ink into water, and watching it swirl and crawl as it disperses. However it was achieved, FORWARD is astounding. Don’t forget to check out the pieces for FLY and JUMP in the project.

What’s a 16-time Olympic Medalist made of? In this piece, swimming legend Michael Phelps get an illustrative makeover. The artist mixes whimsy with anatomy, by adding features resembling veins and tendons. Phelps’ insides then quickly devolve into the strictly decorational swirls and cloud-like patterns covering his face and chest.  This piece was made for the cover of ESPN Magazine (the 100th issue).

These Nike ads, though not as flashly as the above, have concepts behind them that are solid, simple, and inspiring (mirroring the brand itself). This one simply says, “dig,” and if you glance at the floor beneath this toned jump-roper, she’s done quite a number on it. Others in the series: Further (long distance runners stopping at a gas station not for gas, but for a stretch and a glance at the map), and Deep (a baseball player knocks some balls up through the clouds, poking holes that let sunlight through).

To see more inspiring images for this article, check out the “Sports, Enhanced” album that our curators put together on Veer.com. If you like what you see, sign up for a Veer account for a choice selection of affordable stock photography. Bonus – new registrants get 10 free credits.