Salute to the special talent! Good-bye Olympics 2012!

Salute to the special talent! Good-bye Olympics 2012!

“My coach expect the same from me as from anyone else”, says Poland’s Table Tennis star Natalia Partyka,  who was born without a right hand/forearm.   " I am playing  the same lines as the others.  And I have the same dreams and goals" who refuses to use disability as an excuse. Natalia began playing TT at the age of seven. She is such an inspiration and doesn’t let her disability slow her down.  At 11, she qualified for the 2000 Paraolympics in Sydney and was the youngest athlete to compete in any sport. Four years ago in Beijing, she competed in the Olympics and won a gold medal in Paraolympics.  Her Polish team-mates said Natalia made the sport more popular in their country. 

She has done with one hand tied than most do with both hands. A fabulous story!

Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed ‘Blade Runner’, representing South Africa, sprints to glory  to become the first double  amputee to compete the Olympic games. The 25-year old runner was born without calf bones and his legs were amputated below the knee before he was a year old.  His courage, persistence and drive to overcome his disability is spurring. A real champion reflecting the triumph of the human spirit!

Natalia has been particularly interested in Pistorius story because she can relate on some level. “I think both of us can make a difference, especially disabled people, to prove we can be top-level athletes and compete against the best.  There is no need to feel inferior”.

Many people with disabilities, we are aware, have contributed to society. The first name comes to  mind is the Nobel laureate Albert Einstein (remember,  the theory of relativity?) , John Milton (“Paradise Lost”), Thomas Edison (does it ring .... bulbs and the telegraphic system?)…... Take our own Sudha Chandran, the Indian actor and classical dancer, who bravely dances with a Jaipur foot.  Of course there are also plenty of people worldwide who may not be famous in the sense society deems famous, but still live with, battle, and overcome their disabilities every single day of their lives.

The fact of disability is a permanent pain for those who feel, but for those who think, it is a challenge to rise above the limitations. Life has never been equal for everyone, and for those who have dared to conquer their challenges it is all but glorifying to their resilience.  It is stimulating that even people with disabilities can achieve remarkable recognition and make immaculate impact.

One thing is clear. After reading about famous people I realise that challenge is the foundation for greatness. Attitude is everything. Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.

From their side they prove they are heroes and performers, teaching you and me that physicial imperfections are insignificant. 

Let's come to the conscious side.

On seeing a handicapped person, our first impulse may be to look the other way, avoid eye contact and keep walking. A person struggling with serious illness or confined to a wheelchair can be a painful reminder of how vulnerable our own bodies are and how uncertain life can be.  Isn’t it that a disabled person is a person first, the disability is only next?  Think about how you would want to be treated if you were among them. You know you would want to be heard and valued. A simple example, when you post a message in Face Book, you want maximum "likes and shares".

They are usually more fragile, their heart may be easily broken. Learn to walk in their shoes on a daily basis.  When you can learn this you'll have learned a lesson about compassion.

Does society offer much help? Obviously, it is you and me, I mean by society. This reminds me of a type of response some of us entertain:  The moment we sight a  person with special needs, we are taught that it is the "karma" or some sins committed in the previous birth. What is our response in the case of 'disabled'(?) heroes who have astoundingly outperformed and outlived many of the so-called normal human beings? 

Look at the Olympic victors. If the flame of passion is burning inside your heart and mind, nothing can stop you from reaching your goal! Truly an inspiration for anyone who has ever questioned why things happen, what his/her purpose in life is, and may have even considered giving up! The message is plain and simple. NEVER give up - You ARE special and your life DOES HAVE meaning.

In many ways, society helps everyone learn how to mature and how to face the world. Open any book, watch any film, listen to any conversation, and you get a glimpse of how someone without a disability is handling life. But how often does a person with a disability get to share the feelings and experience of someone in the same predicament? It is a goal-oriented life and people with disabilities live very much in the moment.

Anyone who has ever observed a physically disabled individual will simply marvel at how he/she manages to maneuver himself/herself around, in and out of cars, through doorways, in restrooms...

Every other person with a disability, wish he/she could be appreciated for who they are and what they can do.  They learn to plan and control their world in new ways. In short, they cope, find new values.  The negative change in body brings about a positive change in person. More than emotional, they inspire us to follow our dreams and passions.

While we bid good bye to Olympics 2012, heroes like Oscar Pistorius and  Natalia Partyka have, undoubtedly, redefined the notion of handicap.