Fitspiration Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner

The world watched the Olympic Games just a couple of weeks ago. It was a must-see event featuring some of the most inspiring athletes in the world, one of them for the first time, an amputee. Much has been said about South African’s Oscar Pistorius, “the fastest man on no legs,” but none can compare to the accusations that his participation in the games was unfair. Pistorius might have said it was unfair that his legs were taken from him when he was just 11 months old, but instead he grew up with the idea that he just had different shoes.

That kind of thinking kept Pistorius pressing on to qualify for the 2012 games. He made history in lane 6 on August 5^th in London competing in the 400-meter dash. It wasn’t long ago when a double amputee sprinter was an oxymoron, but thanks to Ossur, an orthopedic company out of Iceland, this is a reality. Ossur has “redefined ability” by engineering carbon fiber prosthetics specifically for athletes. One of them even features a Nike sole. 

Criticism came from those with two feet, but when the pistol was fired, hard work and years of training earned Pistorius his personal best (45.44), not the technology below his knees. His courage and perseverance serves as an inspiration to the world. Oscar Pistorius was the first amputee to step on the blocks making the Olympics less about the able-bodied and more about every body. He’s historical race reminds all of us to challenge ourselves and let our bodies surprise us.

Photo by Julia Vynokurova/Getty Images

http://1045theteam.com/if-oscar-pistorius-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-compete-should-steven-strasburg/