Pistorius, the Blade Runner
I’m sure you’re all watching and waiting for the London Olympics. Maybe you love swimming or diving. Maybe you love watching the gymnastic competitions. I’ll be watching track–specifically, the men’s 4X400m relay–and history being made. For the first time in history, a double amputee will be competing in the Olympics! I’m so excited, I think I want South Africa to win! This man has been without legs since he was a baby–and that hasn’t slowed him down at all. In fact, it seems to have driven him to dream bigger and work harder than anyone else.
“Today is truly one of the proudest days of my life,” Pistorius said.
It’s one of the proudest days in the history of the Olympic Games as well.
The most important sporting event on earth now will showcase a disabled athlete in a way that would have been unimaginable even four years ago. The Paralympics? Of course. He has been a star of the past two. But the Olympic Games? South Africa’s decision to send Pistorius to compete against the world’s best able-bodied athletes is a laudable, inclusive and respectful decision, one that is likely to resonant far beyond this summer’s London Games.
