Yep. Everyone from the young, athletic guys in the motorcycle accidents to the obese old ladies with Type 2 Diabetes. They all ask me that question, and I always ask the same thing in response: "Well, did you run before?" Most of them say no.
A lot of people think that amputation of a limb results in some kind of high-tech replacement, which will ultimately grant them some kind of superhuman ability that they didn't have before.
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In reality, that hand belongs to Luke Skywalker and THAT'S NOT REAL LIFE (unfortunately).
So, when people ask me if Oscar Pistorius has some kind of advantage over the other athletes, I quickly say no. I know there's all kinds of conflicting data out there saying one way or another, but that's how I feel based on my experience. Now, I understand the push for him to compete in the Paralympic Games instead (after all, they initially began as the "World Wheelchair and Amputee Games"). But in my opinion, those games are for even more significantly adapted sports. Ever heard of quad rugby, otherwise known as murderball?
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By the way, I highly recommend that documentary. Even if you don't work in neurorehab with patients with spinal cord injuries, those guys are entertaining and inspiring!
Anyway, after watching Pistorius run the other day, he really didn't look that different from the other athletes. I don't think his prostheses put him at an advantage or at a disadvantage. The only thing that looked different to me was that he has a bit more hip flexion, but that's probably just a compensatory mechanism he developed in order to achieve enough foot clearance. What do you think?
Anyway, after watching Pistorius run the other day, he really didn't look that different from the other athletes. I don't think his prostheses put him at an advantage or at a disadvantage. The only thing that looked different to me was that he has a bit more hip flexion, but that's probably just a compensatory mechanism he developed in order to achieve enough foot clearance. What do you think?
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7 comments:
Ummm...the Luke Skywalker hand is totally real life.*
* A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
This is a great post! Thanks! I agree with you that his legs don't give him an unfair advantage. They may have been designed for running, but hey, so was the human ankle. I for one was inspired watching him race in the Olympics. I hope to see more of him in Rio!
Great post, thanks for taking this opportunity to write because the topic has been swirling around! My opinion is the same as yours, even as a layman. I watched him run and saw no unfair advantage and just marveled at the determination it must have taken to develope the skill to make those prostheses allow him to run as naturally as the rest! HE & the athlete that he is caused himself to qualify. He had to have worked extra hard to make his adaption achieve that level so his advantage is the same as his fellow athletes' - gifted powerful strength & speed, perserverance and determination, endurance, guts. Given that he was missing some flesh & bone, merely replaced with mechanics, I felt he competed fairly.
Um, that word is adapTAtion. AND btw: loved the pictures you chose, especially & of course, the young girl in yellow dress!
It always amazes me how some individuals can take a situation such as Pistorius' and do great things, while others wallow in self-pity and refuse to even try.
One of my exes from high school (and still a good friend) was hit by a Yukon while sitting on a tailgate, waiting for someone to show up and bring an air compressor for his tire. He and his buddy both had one leg dangling, one leg folded underneath the other, when a guy in a Yukon decided to get around traffic on the interstate and drive 65 mph on the shoulder, where they were. The impact instantly severed their dangling legs.
My Joey, who had been pretty apathetic about his future before this, became so enthralled with his prosthetic legs, as they changed (from the initial ones to the better ones, as he healed and they removed more of his leg), that he decided to start designing them. And that's what he does now. He's one of the most fascinating people I know, turning something that could destroy so many people into a job that helps others in his situation.
Joey's only advantage over others is his positive attitude, and I think the same could be said for Pistorius.
My brother in law and I had this debate the other day, on whether he has an advantage. I know nothing of amputees or of the Olympics qualification requirements and such - and I think he doesn't. Just by watching him, he's just as fast/slow as any of the others! I personally am rooting for him!
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