Oscar Falls On His Blades

Last Olympics, I was moved to blog after hearing and watching the exploits of Oscar Pistorius, the amputee who overcame long odds to run with able-bodied athletes.  He was a role model and a hero.  Read blog here.

This hero and role model is now accused of the brutal murder of his girlfriend.  I was shocked and so was everyone who followed this man in the culmination of his dream.  How could he do this?  He seemed so grounded.   But did we know him?  Do we really know the people we make our role models?  Sometimes if we knew what they were capable of, we might be less inclined to make give them that status.

Role models and heroes are humans with the same weaknesses and desires like us.   Just read the papers or watch the news and you will always find stories where a  hero turned into a villain.  Fortunately, not every hero or role model choose to surprise us and end up being charged for heinous crimes or other criminal activity.  There are actually some that we can look up to but we should still never be too surprised when even these show their human sides.

Oscar is no different than the other stories you hear about NFL players or movie stars who kill their girlfriends or their families.  The fact that he is an amputee perhaps lends a ‘feel good’ touch to his story as we see him as ‘different’ but he’s not.  He is capable committing the same crimes as everyone else is.

Oscar is innocent until proven guilty and no matter what the verdict is, he will still be remembered for being the first amputee to compete with the big boys.  If he is found guilty, then he would have basically ‘fallen on his blades’ as far as killing his legacy.

My take.

When Dreams Come True

Polski: Oscar Pistorius podczas startu w 2. Memoriale Kamili Skolimowskiej, 20 września 2011 roku w Warszawie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A little South African baby boy legs are amputated just below his knees.  A Kenyan girl leaves home seeking a way to take care of her family living in poverty.   A young African-American girl is forced to train while the process of her parents divorce hovers overhead.  She is also faced with the obstacles of being a black girl trying to excel at a sport not normally dominated by blacks.  A brash Jamaican boy with a mischievous attitude, went from relative obscurity to being one of the top marketable athletes in the world.  What do all the above have in common?  They all fought the odds and went on to Olympic glory in 2012.  Olympic glory is not defined by a medal, it is the spirit of being there. Of being in the spotlight while dreams are realized.

Some of us see the Olympics as a financial drain and waste of time.  Why would any country want to host such a thing when the world is in such economic turmoil?  Well after watching a fair bit of the Olympics yesterday, I can say that this thing is bigger than the world’s economy.  Bigger than politics and Hollywood. Much bigger.

Oscar Pistorius was the little boy from South Africa born without fibulas, which eventually led to amputations in both legs at the tender age of 11.  Despite the setback, he gained the use of special prosthetics that allowed him to take part in sports at a high level, eventually, the Olympics.  Oscar qualified for the 400m by placing third in his heat!  Quite an accomplishment in itself and one that had never been done before.  His story will warm your heart as will his winning and genuine smile.  He has faced criticisms in chasing his dream.  Critics debated whether he held an unfair advantage with his use of the specialized prosthetics.  With Oscar’s performance, children around the world who are living with handicaps can afford to dream and dream big!

Athletes from Kenya and other parts of the world, took the hard road to the Olympics.  Their stories leaves you in awe as they tell of their ailing parents and their many children living in huts.  The set out to be the best at what they do best, running, knowing that this would provide for them and their loved ones.  Inspiring to say the least.  After reading their story you will cheer for the Kenyans the next time you watch a race in which they are running.

By now most of us know the story of the darling of the Olympics, Gabby Douglas.  Gabby became the first African-American to capture gold in a sport not known for African-American domination, gymnastics.  Behind the scenes, Gabby is distracted by the impending divorce of her parents, partly due to her army dad deployment being prolonged.  Gabby has fought mental battles on her way to glory.  She finds strength in her faith in God and her 10000 watt smile on her face is worth gold.  Dreams do come through.  Thanks to you and others like you, color never has to be an excuse.

I watched the great Michael Phelps celebrate yet another medal to add to his world record haul, Serena Williams‘ antics as she easily dispensed of her Russian rival, Maria Sharapova.  Rosie Maclennan, the Canadian gold medal winner in the trampoline event.  Her deceased grandfather was her source of inspiration. The list goes on.  Each one has a story to tell and the looks on their faces as they compete and complete tells their own story.   Some collapsed on the field, tears flow, the grins broadens.  Some thank God and their family, some cry for the loved ones who were not there to share their moment, others cry as their dreams are realized. They encircle themselves with the flags of their countries, patriotism at its best.  No losers are here, they are all winners.

Yes, in a time when economic instability is everywhere, this is what the world needs.   Let’s all dream. Dreams can come true.

Related articles

• The Faith of Olympic Champion Gabrielle Douglas and the Strength of Her Mother (wisdomformom.com)
• 
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2183256/Gabby-Douglas-secret-heartbreak-Gold-medal-sensation-tormented-absent-soldier-father–family-split-Olympic-dream.html
  
• 
  http://www.npr.org/2012/07/28/157503759/kenyan-runners-dash-to-olympic-gold-and-wealth