Inspiring Olympic Stories

A week plus has passed since the 2012 London Olympics began, and a slew of dramatic activity has unfurled for all viewers worldwide. The emotions experienced and shown to the public range from true happiness and delight to utter disappointment and defeat. The athletes have competed to their best ability and stuck perfect vaults in front of astonished judges, beaten world records thought to be insurmountable, and carried on family tradition winning first place in a myriad of activities in the Olympics. Through all these great achievements there has been one athlete and one accomplishment that stuck out and touched me more than all others combined. This athlete overcame a lifetime of challenges and obstacles, fought public discontent and restrictions, and prevailed on the Olympic stage teaching everyone watching that you should never judge a person on the way the look.

The man I refer to is none other than Oscar Pistorius from South Africa. Pistorius is a 25 year old sprinter nicknamed "Blade Runner". This nickname was given due to the fact that Pistorius was born with underdeveloped legs and forced to grow up with two prosthetic legs. Born without a fibula in either of his legs, Pistorius underwent a double amputation before his first birthday. As his brother was learning to tie his shoe laces, Pistorius was learning how to put on his prosthetic legs. However, Pistorius never saw the physical difference he had as a disability. He began training and competing with able-bodied athletes in different sports and running events.

In 2004, Pistorius qualified and ran in the Athens Paralympic games. In the Men's 400 meter final, Pistorius got a late start, staying on the block for one or two seconds after the starting gun was fired. At realizing his mistake, Pistorius immediately started to catch up with the field, running around the curve of the track as fast as he could. In doing this, Pistorius not only caught up to the field, but won gold in this race and in two others. After his amazing showing in Athens, Pistorius earned his title "the fastest man on no legs" and went back to training with a new goal in mind.

In 2008, Pistorius qualified for the Beijing Olympics, but was ruled ineligible by track’s world governing body because his blades were deemed to give him a competitive advantage. The spring given to Pistorius by his prosthetic legs was thought to be giving him an extra burst of speed that was unequal to that possible from an able-bodied man. After hearing testimony from an MIT professor, who is himself a user of prosthetic legs, and providing multiple test results for comparison of prosthetic legs and average legs, the Court for Arbitration of Sport struck down the 2008 ruling. However, the ruling was overturned too late for Pistorius to compete in the Beijing games.

For that reason, Pistorius's showing in 2012 meant that much more. In the London 2012 Olympics, Pistorius would be the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied men in Track and Field events. In the qualifying rounds of the Men's 400 meter, Pistorius came in second, earning him a spot in the semifinal round of running. In the semifinals Pistorius was unable to get himself a spot in the final run, but he did something better. Pistorius showed viewers worldwide that a person is not, and should not, be defined by their physical limitations or disabilities because if a person dedicates enough time and effort, there are no limitations to what can be achieved.

As Kirani James, winner of Pistorius's semifinal heat, exchanged name cards with Pistorius after the race was over, a thought went through my head. In anyone's life, the only person standing between them and their ultimate goals and dreams, is the individual themselves. I know I have used my disability as a crutch at times. Whenever I do not perform as well as I know I could have, I always use my disability as an excuse. However, Pistorius showed me that there may be people that are better than you, but if you work hard enough and never let any challenge get you down, you can prevail at any challenge that comes your way. The Olympics was such an amazing accomplishment of Pistorius, but you or I could be the next inspiration if we try hard enough.