There are many stories of self-control in Arayos, like Yosef with Eishes Potiphar, Boaz and Rus, Palti ben Layish with Michal bas Shaul, and R' Amram Chasida, etc. They all had major battles, and this is exactly their greatness, to overcome difficult passions. Why is Rabbi Akiva special, that he is always a step ahead and he laughs at the Yetzer Hara? The Alter of Novardok Zatzal says that a person who was once Nichshal has to make bigger Gedarim (safeguards) and: מְמֵילָּא as a result, he is: בְּמָּקוֹם ׁשֶבַעֲלֵי תְׁשׁוּבָּה עוֹמְדִים אֵין צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמוֹד a Baal Teshuva who is even GREATER than a pure Tzaddik.
Rabbi Akiva had to be overtime in Tefila and Avodas Hashem, since he came from Geirim and he needed extra work. And for the first 40 years of his life, he was an Am HaAretz who hated Talmidei Chachomim.
