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You never would’ve heard of Oscar Pistorius if he hadn’t been a double-amputee. Now because of his exploits in track and field, the 21-year old South African persevered and got the International Olympic Committee to allow him to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ironically, he was originally denied because officials said his carbon-fiber blades, attached just below both knees, gave him an unfair advantage. Imagine that, a young man that had both legs amputated at age 11 would have an advantage against able-bodied Olympians? This young man is special. He is particularly excited because he believes he has broken new ground regarding the treatment of disabled athletes. This aspect cannot be overstated. Thanks to Jackie Robinson in 1947, a major color barrier was broken in Major League Baseball and race relations began to advance toward a better equality. Muhammad Ali’s vocal positions during the Vietnam War elevated the zeitgeist of the country during a turbulent time in the 60’s. In the 70’s professional tennis player Billie Jean King worked tirelessly toward the advancement of women’s rights, and today her efforts are prevalent. The commonality between these four athletes is very similar. All of them had to struggle mightily to rise to excellence in their respective sports, and all of them carried the passion over into their personal lives for the greater good. Sports is about overcoming. If you are an athlete and haven’t had a setback yet, consider yourself unfortunate. You have no idea what you are really capable of until you have something you love taken away from you. And it’s not what happens its how you react. Play the victim card and whine, and that’s what you’ll be. In the meantime you can root for Oscar Pistorius. He’ll be a member of the 4 X 100 relay team this summer in Beijing. He’s a living miracle because he made it happen by turning his misfortune into a positive. (c) 2008 Novi
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