I was stuck yesterday
when I was browsing and
came across the story of
some paraolympians who
are competing in the on-
going Paraolympics.
The headline read:
"Superhuman... and then
some! Five athletes who
symbolise triumph of will
over adversity"
Here are five of the
athletes who have drawn
gasps of admiration and
applause from the crowds.
Star Swimmer (the picture
used)
1. Chinese swimmer Tao
Zheng broke the world
record in the men’s s6
100metres backstroke. The
21-year-old swims using
only the power of his legs.
He won the race taking
gold in a record time of
1:13.56. He is competing in
three other events,
including the 50m freestyle,
50m butterfly and 200m
individual medley.
Master Archer
2. Despite being born with
no arms, American archer
Matt Stutzman is
determined to win gold.
The 29-year-old from Iowa
remarkably uses his feet
to fire the bow. To fire an
arrow, Stutzman lifts his
leg horizontally, holding the
bow between his toes.
Queen of the Pool
3. Twenty-year-old Chinese
swimmer Lu Dong, who has
no arms, is unable to hold
the edge of the pool to
launch herself into a race.
So she clenched a towel
tightly in her teeth, before
leaping backwards at the
start of the 100m
backstroke at the
Paralympic pool.
Powered only by her legs,
she swam to gold in a
world record-breaking time
of 1.24.71– drawing roars
from the 16,000 spectators
who packed into the
Aquatics Centre in
Stratford.
Ping-Pong Prodigy
4. Polish table tennis player
Natalia Partyka was born
without a right hand and
forearm.
She is one of only six
athletes ever to have
competed at both the
Olympics and Paralympics
and made her Paralympic
debut in Sydney aged just
11. Her prowess at both
levels of competition is all
the more incredible given
that her shot range is
restricted by the use of
only one hand.
To serve she has to
balance the ball on her
disabled arm which she
then throws up. Dismissing
her disability as restrictive,
she said previously: ‘For
me, [disability] is nothing.
‘I am playing the same
lines as the others. I am
doing the same exercises.
We have the same goals
and the same dreams.’
Bravery on a Bike
5. Spanish cyclist Juan
Jose Mendez competed in
the individual C1-2-3 1km
cycling time trial.
With only the use of his
right arm and right leg, the
58-year-old gritted his
teeth as he approached
the finish line at the
Velodrome.
The bike used by Mendez
has a specially adapted
seat in which he places his
left leg in order to balance.
*************
These individuals have
physical disabilities but for
many us we believe we
have other disabilities. I'm
talking about thinking of
your environment, your
lack of education, the
family you were born into,
etc as disabilities.
For many of us our
disabilities are in our minds.
It is our mentality that is
our disability.


dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2196081/London-Paralympics-2012-Five-athletes-symbolise-triumph-adversity.html

http://m.?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-2196081%2FLondon-Paralympics-2012-Five-athletes-symbolise-triumph-adversity.html&h=vAQHL-oFT&enc=AZNnr9V7BTxXLZetGQ3EBEKpt8DqpYxESuu2xiMIAmAKUYEagTTPzNu-SXAPN2qXwxcjNXkuAV0FpcK0QKNiCOow76bD7GJP6frxTi0l1cGY4Q&s=1