Few who watched the London Olympics could look away from the shots of Oscar Pistorius, a strong, triumphant athlete.
There he was running on two carbon fiber blades shaped like scythes. Although he failed to qualify for the 400 metre final, this South African counted it a victory simply to compete on an equal basis with "normal" runners.
If you followed his story, you know Oscar was born without fibulas, the long bones that run from knee to ankle. That November 22, 1986, his parents, Sheila and Henke Pistorius, as any of us would, wondered what kind of life lay ahead for their newborn.
Early on they consulted with some of the best doctors in the world. These physicians advised a procedure that left them reeling: Ampute their baby's legs below the knee. Soon.
Doctors assured them their son would face less difficulty learning to walk and would have better mobility all through life. Surgeons performed the amputation before Oscar's first birthday.
Six months later technicians fitted the toddler with his first prosthetic legs.
Never shrinking back
This remarkable family was crazy for sports. Oscar grew up rejecting physical limitations and trying everything, egged on by his mom.
He played rugby and water polo and also wrestled. In 2003 a rugby tackle resulted in torn knee ligaments. Doctors advised him to get into sprinting to rehab his leg and his coach quietly began shape Oscar for a running career.
Through it all, Sheila Pistorius cheered him on. According to her son, she cut him no slack. "She always said the loser isn't the person that gets involved and comes in last, but it's the person that doesn't get involved in the first place."
Henke and Sheila divorced sometime during Oscar's childhood years, after which the three siblings saw little oftheir father. .
Sheila Pistorius died when Oscar was fifteen. In an interview with News24.com, he said his mother "left an indelible mark on me."
What keeps him going
It's heady stuff for any athlete to compete in the Olympic, but Oscar never forgets the source of his strength. He discussed that with Nico Bougas (Assist News Service (ANS) dated June 9, 2012.)
Oscar grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ as His Savior “more or less before I could remember. God is the most important person in the world to me. If I’m on the right patch spiritually, it helps with everything else.”
Asked why he needs Christ in his life, he says: “Because He is the reason for my success and the one that takes me from strength to strength. Christ makes all the difference. He aids me in my struggles and makes my glories that much greater.”
The ultimate prize
Like many athletes, Oscar has a tattoo, which he got one sleepless night in New York City. It’s a verse from Corinthians: “I do not run like a man running aimlessly.’’
To be specific, the verse is 1 Corinthians 9:26. If we add verse 25, we understand what Oscar Pistorius means:
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly . . .
The crown stands for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, which brings us eternal life in heaven.
Here's to living with purpose–with or without a tattoo.
Love,
Lenore
