I love the Olympics, but as a television event, it has become the mother of all reality shows. The networks (this time NBC) profiles every athlete as a tragic hero, whose stories are exploited to the point their actual athleticism becomes close to being irrelevant.
One athlete, who I first profiled last year, has a story worth telling. Oscar Pistorius almost lost his chance at the finals when a runner collided with South Africa's Ofentse Mogawane as he made his way around the final bend in the second leg of the race. Pistorius was set to run next, but could only stare in disbelief at what had just happened. Pistorius and his South African teammates are moving on to the 4x400-meter relay final however after officials awarded an extra spot in the final following a successful protest by South Africa.
Blade Runner: Oscar Pistorius
First published on FH, December 2011
'You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have.'
Oscar Pistorius
I had not heard of Oscar Pistorius until I was recently flipping though this years Man Of The Year issue of GQ. I was immediately in love with the man and his story. The South African sprint runner, known as the Blade Runner and the fastest man on no legs is the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 metres. Reading how Oscar has been criticized for having an unfair advantage over other athletes due to his disability and prosthetic legs was beautifully ironic!
Last two images by Tetsuharu Kubota
Oscar Pistorius official site:
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