By A. Frank Johns, JD, LLM, CELA
Oscar Pistorius was born in 1986 in Johannesburg, South Africa with fibular hemimelia – a congenital condition characterized by a developmental absence or shortening of one of the two lower leg bones, as well as other malformations, (“Why Oscar Pistorius Deserves to Run”). When he was just a baby Oscar’s legs were amputated mid-calf, though that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a world renowned track and field sprinter. Today Oscar is in the middle of an international track and field controversy, as well as a media whirlwind, not to mention a designer ad campaign that plastered his picture across NY’s Times Square.
Pistorius first became nationally known in 2008 when he missed qualifying for the Beijing Olympics by .7 seconds after finally convincing “the International Association of Athletics Federations, the governing body for track and field sports… to overturn its own 2007 decision disqualifying Pistorius and his prosthetic legs,” (“Why Oscar Pistorius Deserves to Run”). The IAAF originally stated that prosthetic legs would contaminate the purity of the sport, based on research from the German Sport University Cologne, which found Pistorius’s Ossur Flex-Foot Cheetah prosthetics allowed him to run using less energy than athletes on normal legs. In the end, it was found the German study failed to take into account the energy burned without the aid of oxygen. Despite the IAAF’s retraction, the controversy amongst scientists, physiologists and sports fans alike continues: Pistorius has faced arguments that range in focus from the prosthetics’ weight (versus a normal leg), all the way to their “inability” to be injured. He went on to win three gold medals at the Paralympics in 2008, (“Is It Fair For ‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius to Run in London Olympics?”).
Most recently, on July 19th Pistorius made world history when he ran the 400 meter event in 45.07 seconds – the fastest time ever recorded by an amputee and fast enough to earn him a spot at the London Summer Olympics in 2012. This record-breaking time also qualified Pistorius to represent South Africa as a member of their track team in the World Championships in Athletics held in Daegu, South Korea. Though he finished last with 46.19 seconds in the Daegu semi-final, he garnered the most media attention. It seems almost certain that Pistorius will continue to face obstacles on his mission to be treated as any other athlete, but after the Daegu semi-final he said “I have challenged a lot of people in the way they think about disability,” (“Humbled Oscar Pistorius Says He Never Expected to Make 400m Final”).
Make Booth Harrington & Johns of NC PLLC a part of your team. We’re on a mission to re-educate the public about its differently-abled members. Give us a call toll-free at (877) 503-5337.
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