Disability Awareness Month 2012: Athletes with Disability

We recognize Olympians with a disability, past and present

Through Difficulties to the Stars

Sir Philip CravenSir Philip is a British sports administrator and a former athlete. He is the second and current President of the International Paralympic Committee. He represented Great Britain in wheelchair basketball at 5 editions of the Paralympic games and also competed in track and field and swimming. He won many medals at these games. Sir Philip broke his back in a climbing accident when he was 17.

Sources: widipedia.com and independent.co.uk

Natalie Du ToitNatalie is a 28 year old swimmer from South Africa. First amputee ever to qualify for the Olympics in 2008. She has won many medals competing against able-bodied athletes at national and international competitions. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics and Physiology. Natalie carried her country’s flag at the 2008 Olympics ceremony, making it the first athlete to carry a flag in both Olympics and Paralympics in a single year.

Source: Wikipedia.com

Marla RunyanLegally blind as a result of Stargardt’s disease, Marla had already won five gold medals in the Paralympics when she qualified for the US team at 1,500 meters at the Athens Olympics. She placed eighth in the final. Marla won many marathons, such as the New York Marathon in 2002, as well as many international competitions against able-bodied and in a variety of track and field events.


Michael Phelps

Michael Fred Phelps II is an American swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all times with a total of 22 medals. He also holds the all-time record for Olympic Gold medals (18), Olympic Gold medals in an individual event (11), and Olympic medals in individual event for a male (13), and most first-place finishes (8) at an Olympic Game in 2008.Phelps was diagnosed with Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when he was in 6th grade.


Oscar Pistorius

Oscar is a South African sprint runner who has double below-knee amputations. His flex-foot cheetah prostheses, although controversial, have allowed him to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics Games. He has won many medals and holds records for the 100 m (T44).Affectionately known as “the fastest man on no legs.”


Natalia Partyka

Natalia is a Polish table tennis player. Born without a right hand and forearm, she participates in competitions against able-bodied athletes.She has competed in 3 consecutive Olympic and Paralympic games, where she won gold and silver medals in individual and pair competition.

David Smith

David is a 28 year old, middle blocker for the male USA Volleyball Team. Has helped his team win many national and international medals and participated in the 2012 London games. He is considered to be one of the best blockers the US team has ever had. David has 90% hearing loss.

Source: teamusa.org

Im Dong-Hyun

Im is a South Korean archer who is visually impaired in both eyes. He has set numerous world records in the ranking rounds and has successfully participated in the last 3 Olympic games. He was gold medalist in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games.

Bruce Jenner

Once known as “the world’s greatest athlete,” Bruce was an American champion in the decathlon and won a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics, setting a world record of 8,934 points. Jenner is also well known as a motivational speaker and on TV as part of the Kardashian family. Jenner is dyslexic.

Source: Wikipedia.comand brucejenner.com

Carl Lewis

Carl was an American track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals, and 10 World Championship medals. He was mostly known as a sprinter and long jumper. He had a learning disability.

Jean Driscoll

Jean is an American wheelchair racer, who won this division at the Boston Marathon 8 times, more than any other female athlete in any division. In the Paralympic games she also won many medals in various events. She was born with spina bifida and began using a wheelchair in high school.

Paola Fantato

Paola is an Italian archer, who won 8 medals (5 gold) at 5 consecutive Summer Paralympic games. At age 8, she was afflicted with poliomyelitis and was bound to a wheelchair since. She also competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics where she won bronze in women’s individual and gold in women’s team.


Miranda Uhl

Miranda is an American Paralympic swimmer, who won a gold medal at the 2008 summer games and broke the world record on 200 m individual medley. She was born with achondroplasia, which restricts the growth of her limbs. She currently trains and attends classes at Florida Atlantic University.

Sources: wikipedia.comAnd fau.edu

Matt Stutzman

Known as “the armless archer,”Matt was born without arms. He won silver at the 2012 Paralympic games. He currently holds the world record, even among able-bodied archers, for the longest accurate shot, having successfully struck a target from 230 yards in 2011.

Sources: telegraph.co.uk and inspirationalarcher.com

George Eyser

George was a German-American gymnast who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics, earning six medals in one day, including 3 golds and 2 silvers. He competed with a wooden prosthesis for a left leg, having lost his real leg after being run over by a train.

Source: widipedia.com

Oliver Halassy

Oliver was a Hungarian water polo player and freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1928, 1932, and 1936 Olympic games. He won one silver and 2 gold medals at the Olympics. He was the first amputee swimmer to compete in the Olympics. Oliver lost his leg at age 8 in an accident.

Source: wikipedia.com

Lis Hartel

Lis was an equestrian who won two Olympic silver medals for Denmark in the 1950s despite being paralyzed below the knees because of Polio. She won many national and international competitions and was named one of Denmark’s all-time top 10 athletes in 2005. Together with her therapist, Lis founded Europe’s first Therapeutic Riding Center. This form of therapy is now widely accepted as an invaluable tool.

Source: simplymarvelous.wordpress.com

Ildikó Rejtö

Ildikó was a Hungarian foil fencer who was born deaf. She communicated with her trainers using pieces of paper. Ildikó competed in five Olympics, earning 2 gold medals, 1 silver and 2 bronzes. She also holds the unusual distinction of being the only Summer Olympian to win medals using three different names, having married twice during her Olympic career.


Jeff Float

Jeff is an American swimmer, world record holder, World Champion, and Olympic gold medalist. At 13 months of age, he lost most of his hearing and nearly his life to viral meningitis. He is the first legally deaf athlete from the United States to win an Olympic gold medal.


Neroli Fairhall

Neroli was a New Zealand athlete, who was the first paraplegic competitor in the Olympic games. Paralyzed from the waist down after a motorbike accident, she competed while seated in a wheelchair. She was also a national champion for many years and won many international competitions


Terence ParkinTerence is a South African silver-medal-winner, who is 100% deaf since birth, so a strobe light was used to communicate to him the start of the race. He also competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, as well as the 2005 Deaflympics in which he took home two gold medals. In 2011, he saved a young boy from drowning.

Source: widipedia.com

Education

Disability Awareness Month 2012: Athletes with Disability