I'm not taking any sides in this fascinating debate. I would, however, never discount the possibility of someone achieving extraordinary things in a shorter time frame than is normal. Life is full of such people.
This is my favourite quote. I hope it acts as inspiration to some, and a wake up call to others. You can decide which side of the fence you want be

Here it is:
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
-- Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
How about that for a quote? Inspires me daily
