Whoever is looking for a man of sheer determination and an incredible story of defying fate, shouldn’t have to look any further. Having both legs amputated between the knees and ankles, would put a virtual end on most peoples’ lives.
However, when it happened to Oscar Pistorius (born on 22nd November, 1976 in Pretoria, Gauteng Province) at the age of 11months, his life just began. He was keen on sports like rugby, water polo and tennis while in school (Pretoria Boys’ High School). After a serious rugby knee injury, he was introduced to athletics in January 2004 while undergoing rehabilitation. And the rest was...Eternity.
Pistorius seemingly went on a record-breaking and record-making spree after that. His career at an awed glance:
2004: He came third overall in the T44 100m event and won the finals with a world record time of 21.97 seconds the Summer Paralympics.
2005: Storius finished sixth in the South African Championships over 400m.
Despite the honorable invitation from IAAF to take part in an able-bodied event, the 400m race at the IAAF Grand Prix in Helsinki, Finland, he missed the opportunity due to school work pressure.
2006: He bagged gold in the 100, 200 and 400m events, breaking the world record over 200 m. at the Paralympics Athletics World Championships
In the same year, Pistorius was conferred the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze (OIB) by the President of South Africa for outstanding achievement in sports.
17 March, 2007 Pistorius finished second in the South African Championships, with a time record of 46.56 seconds.
13th July 2007, Pistorius ran in the 400m race at Rome’s Golden Gala and finished second in run B with a time of 46.90s, closely followed by the 400m at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield on July 15, 2007, which didn’t go too well, given that he finished seventh among eight contestants and was disqualified for running outside his lane.
Pistorius looks forward to participating with aplomb in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, and other able-bodied events. And all that with his artificial limbs, j-shaped carbon-fibre prosthetics, called ‘Cheetahs’, manufactured by Icelandic company Össur.
He has been the subject of heated controversies and often accused of receiving unfavorable advantages. However, no obstacle has yet succeeded in blocking his path. He runs on and on and on and has aptly been labeled ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘the fastest man on no legs’.
Pistorius’ story only opens our eyes to the realization that if he can come so far in life after being born without fibulae in both legs due to a congenital condition, there is no limit to what the rest of us, blessed with all faculties, can achieve in life.
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