how do you handle your "athletics" skill/ability? and what do you use as a baseline?

I am starting over again with how to use "athletics" in my design. After two different tries that I don't consider successful I am looking for inspiration for a third try.

Why does it matter to me? right now athletics is the only skill/ability that currently needs a work around for my core resolution mechanic.

At this point I feel like I need to look at somebody else's concepts to try and find some sort of inspiration