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| Umm... No. |
"Olympic" is a term that's a little overused nowadays, but often has nothing to do with the original tradition of nude athletes lathered in olive oil performing at Olympia, Greece in honor of Zeus. I've heard people refer to their appetites as Olympic. (again... no.) Modern Olympians, though, are definitely Olympic. If you're empirical over evidence (like me), look no farther than "the fastest man on no legs."
Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius was born with fibular hemimelia, resulting in two incomplete legs. He received a double leg amputation when he was only 11 months old, and, after receiving prosthetic legs, decided to start playing the South African test of manhood, rugby. After playing for multiple years, he suffered a knee injury, and starting running as rehabilitation. Unbeknownst to him, his coach did not intend for Pistorius to return to rugby. Soon they realized that there was no turning back.
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| The "Blade Runner" in his element. |
Pistorius, a 400m runner from South Africa, is (at this point in time) the only double leg amputee ever to participate in the Olympic Games. He had already won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and the 400m runs in the Paralympics, but didn't settle there. He had failed to qualify for Beijing in 2008, but came back with determination to achieve a time of 45.07 seconds in 2011, making him eligible to compete in London. It almost did not happen, though, as the International Association of Athletics Federations banned him under concerns that his leg springs gave him an unfair advantage. It took a revision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (man, these titles!) in order for him to be able to participate in the 2012 Olympics. In London, he made it as far as the semifinals, but by then had earned the support and respect of the entire world. To the world, he has this to say: "You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."
So what does this mean for the rest of us? It's easy to dismiss this as some story about a guy who is unlike the rest of us, who does not stand on equal footing, or who just doesn't have anything to teach us. But Pistorius, just like plenty of other athletes who compete in the Olympics, reminds us that a) we can go anywhere from any beginning, and that b) dedication is what gets us there. All of us, with a little bit of inspiration and bucket-loads of perspiration, can hit our goals. No one would've thought of Pistorius achieving what he did. My mom, as she was watching one of his races, stated that the "Blade Runner" shamed the others who weren't handicapped; in my opinion, I believe he inspired them to push harder.
