Pratyusha Bujimalla, Per. 6
Sport, Johnson
Sport Hero Essay
20 December 2012
The Makings of A Hero: Oscar Pistorius
Oscar Pistorius, a South African sprinter, rose to the top of the sports world by showing his heroism through many outlets, including his performance in the Paralympics, his involvement in International Inspiration, the motivation and inspiration he provides for the Paralympic community, and his ability to bring his country together. Although different definitions of heroes exist, Pistorius’ heroic qualities are unquestionable, and the hard work and dedication he puts into not only his sport, but every other aspect of his life, makes him the man he is known as today.
Born without a fibula in either of his legs, Pistorius became a double amputee at the tender age of six months. Within weeks, he had mastered walking in his prostheses, and he was off. Raised in a sports-crazy family, Pistorius participated in many sports, including rugby, cricket, tennis and club wrestling, despite having prosthetic limbs. After shattering his knee in June of 2003, Pistorius took up track to help rehabilitate the use of his legs. After running a couple of races with regular prostheses, Pistorius and his father realized that his record for the 100m was faster than the existing Paralympic world record. With this realization, Pistorius’ professional career was launched.
Although Pistorius started off in the Paralympics, he soon realized that that wasn’t where he belonged. He strove to run in the Olympics, without any special treatment because of his prostheses. This shows a heroic quality in Pistorius: his refusal to let materialistic obstacles get in the way of his goals. “When any amputee walks with their prosthetic devices, there is often soreness, sometimes even a degree of discomfort no amount of painkillers can relieve” (Brown). Despite this pain and discomfort, Pistorius pushed through to finally realize his goal in 2012, when he made qualified for the 400m...
