I agree that champions make themselves, but it also depends on what the materials they have to work with and the opportunities they have.
So, I'd already said becoming a champion depends on more than one factor. Still, a 5'3" person has little hope of becoming Olympic champion high jumper. I'm just not willing to say that it's impossible. I've seen wrestlers with no legs, and pitchers with one arm.
Afa courage, I took my sons to judo when they were young. The 6 year-old was put up against an 8 year-old green belt who proceeded to toss my son around and pin him at will. My son was almost crying, but he kept getting back up. Thirty years have passed; it still makes me proud when I think of it. No, I'm not saying that he got anything from me. All I know is that it was something that was inside him. I'd imagine that seeing certain qualities in a student would make a teacher or coach say "that kid has potential."
I think that'd be true of someone who walked into a tcc school that competed. That, however, doesn't mean that the student with the most potential will have the greatest career.