Excellence is the result of a long-term investment and from a successful interaction between a range of contributory factors. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the journey of a group of world-class elite athletes from the sport of orienteering, in order to identify the important factors and conditions that may influence and determine the development and maintenance of excellence in orienteering. This research focused on a group of 5 elite athletes whom placed in the top 10 places in the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) world ranking in 2013. The methodology used has focused on life histories, the data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then analysed using content analysis. Results showed the interviewees recognised that excellence is a goal to achieve, in which the performance of excellence is complemented by the development of a set of skills related to the personal formation. It was also identified that sporting diversification is the basic principle on which is based the entire development process, which is organized into three structural stages: i) initiation, characterised by a strong investment in the free and deliberate game; ii) development, expressed in a greater investment in orienteering and structured training; iii) improvement, which is distinguished as an almost exclusive commitment to this sport. Throughout the development process, this group of athletes recognise the need to possess a set of characteristics and skills such as professionalism, dedication and commitment to orienteering. We also identified a number of decisive aspects for the development of excellence, which is the context in which this process occurs, in particular the influence of family, friends and peers as well as the socio-cultural dynamics of a country. Final key themes that emerged are the aspects of affective-emotional nature, where feelings of happiness, wellbeing and passion for this sport act as modellers and influencing elements.