As we all shake off the excitement of the Olympics in London and steadily get back in to our every day lives, the majority of us forget that the excitement of watching athletes from around the world obtain new heights and attain life goals and dreams start all over again on August 29th with the Paralympics.
One such athlete that will competing at the Paralympics is Oscar Pistorius.
Here is his story.
Cheered by a crowd of 80 000 people, Oscar Pistorius, of South Africa, realized a dream as he carried the flag for his nation during the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympic Games. He had come a long way.
Pistorius was born without his fibulas. Before his first birthday, both his lower legs had been amputated. The 26 year old has only known life with prosthetics, which hasn’t stopped him from dreaming. After taking on many sports, including wrestling, water polo and tennis, he started running in 2003, following a serious rugby injury. Since then, he has never looked back.
Nicknamed the “Blade Runner”, his first participation in the Paralympics was in 2004, in Athens, where he finished 3rd overall in his category. In 2007, Pistorius took part in his first international competition with able-bodied athletes, and finished second. Fearing that technical devices could advantage the runner, the IAAF consequently amended its rules and banned the use of such devices in able-bodied competitions. Pistorius and his manager appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and because of the lack of scientific proof, the decision was reversed in 2008.
Although his South African relay team did not win a medal in London, Pistorius’ Olympic story inspired millions. He will be back in the Olympic Stadium shortly, this time as a Paralympic inspiration, from August 29th to September 9th. He is a gold medal prediction for the 100m, 200m, 400m, and the 4X400m relay. If he wins all of his events, Pistorius will come home with more Olympic gold medals than Usain Bolt.
“For me, I’ve always done what I do because I love training, and I love being the best that I can be,” says Oscar Pistorius.