Don't be misled by a missing limb or two (or more). Don't think a team is handicapped by a basketball player who is blind, or be disillusioned by a runner who has no feet. Above all, leave pity and inspiration at home, because there's no place for those feelings in the stands or on the field.
Meet a new breed of athlete that plays hard and plays to win. More and more athletes with disabilities are competing on an individual level, while others are qualifying for positions on teams that are composed primarily of able-bodied players. The rules stay the same when disabled athletes participate, and in most cases no concessions are allowed for what a player might lack. What the players bring to the table is sheer talent and unleashed determination.
Four Athletes Breaking New Ground
- Kyle Maynard. This 23 year-old former high school wrestling star is a congenital quad amputee (born with both arms missing at the elbows and both legs missing at the knees). Trained in jiu-jitsu, he hopes to become licensed in Mixed Martial Arts. In an interview with Ariel Helwani (Fanhouse Web site: "Kyle Maynard's Amateur MMA Debut Shrouded in Controversy, Secrecy"), Maynard states, "I feel like if I can go the distance or better with this, it's going to prove to a lot of people that cliché saying that you can't judge a book by its cover is the truth." There are no special rules for Kyle in the Auburn, Alabama, MMA competition (2009), other than he'll be considered a grounded opponent, meaning there can be no kicks or knees to his head.
- Matt Steven. Not just a kid from the neighborhood, Matt is a blind kid who sinks free-throws on the basketball court. Matt ice skates, rides a bike, and plays soccer, according to ESPN's online and print columnist Rick Reilly, in a recent submission, "Matt Steven Can't See the Hoop. But He'll Take the Last Shot." So how does Matt sink free-throw shots? His brother taps the hoop with Matt's white cane, making sound.
- Kendall Bailey. An athlete multiply-disabled from cerebral palsy, mental retardation and autism, just to name a few of his diagnosed conditions, Kendall is one of the fastest breaststroke swimmers in the world.
- Bobby Martin. Bobby was born with nothing below the pelvis, but he makes do with what he's got. What he's got is everything he needs both on and off the football field. He propels his body by using his arms, the movements as graceful as any conditioned athlete. Bobby has spent time in the ring too, as a wrestler.
Do Athletes with Handicaps Have an Advantage?
Controversy arose when South African runner and world-class sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, made the decision to try and qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics. A double amputee, Pistorius uses carbon fiber transtibial prosthetic devices that look like blades. When Pistorius set his goals for the Olympics in Beijing (2008), the International Association of Athletics Federation was forced to determine if the runner's prostheses gave him an unfair advantage over the other competitors. Pistorius was finally given the opportunity to compete, but his time was not quite enough to make the Olympic team.
Athletes with disabilities have a right to pursue dreams and ambitions just as anyone else. When prostheses provide no additional advantage and the rules and regulations are suitably met by the athlete, then discrimination is groundless. The gap between disabled persons and non-disabled persons is slowly closing. The winning moment will come when athletes having a handicap warrant no more public or media attention than any other athlete.
Mary King - Mary King is a Suite101 Topic Editor for the Caregiver Support and Home Management sections. She has authored 5 teen-based novels.
Join the Conversation