Pisorius sets new WR; Tom Hanks reportedly set to bid on rights to his life story
Posted March 14th, 2007 at 3:15 PM by Martin Kennedy
Section: News & Results, Motivation, Success Stories, Track & Field, Columns, SPOTLIGHT
Oscar Pistorius, the elite South African amputee runner, is now a step closer to becoming the first amputee and/or physically handicapped-runner to qualify for the able-bodied Olympics.
Last Friday, Oscar set a new P.R. and broke his own 400m Paralympic world record (47:34) with a time of 46 seconds flat at the Yellow Pages Track and Field series meet. If Oscar is able to run the 400m about a second faster, he should be able to qualify for South Africa’s Olympic team.
Two days later, The Times reported that Tom Hanks, who won an Oscar for his leading role in Forrest Gump, will bid on the rights to Oscar’s incredible life story with the intention of producing a film via his Playtone label.
Forrest Gump (1994), a modern classic that earned six Oscars, demonstrated the obstacles faced by amputees through Gary Sinise’s portrayal of Lt. Dan Taylor and a love for running via Forrest Gump (Hanks).
The reports regarding Hanks interest in Oscar’s story are further intensifying an already hot debate about Oscar’s potential participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Even if Oscar is able to qualify, which now seems more likely than ever, he may not be allowed to compete because critics claim that his prosthetics (Ossur’s Cheetah Flex-Foot) provide an unfair advantage. The IAAF, which serves as the governing body for track and field, has yet to announce their ruling on the matter.
As Oscar awaits his fate and the possibility of a major motion picture, the charismatic 20-year old will continue on his quest to qualify; defying the odds and inspiring those with and without disabilities in the process.
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Oscar, TFS’s February 2007 “Success Story”, was also featured in the March 2007 edition of Wired Magazine. The article, entitled “Blade Runner”, can be viewed online by clicking here
Want to learn more about Oscar? Then click here to play and/or download my exclusive audio interview with Oscar from last month where we discuss his life, historic achievements, the controversy, how he deals with the critics and the very real possibility of him redefining society’s concept of human potential.
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Tags: 400m, academy awards, amputation, amputee, disability, disabled, film, forrest gump, Gary Sinise, handicapped, IAAF, Lt. Dan Taylor, movie, olympics, oscar, Oscar Pistorius, Playtone, prosthetics, South Africa, the times, tom hanks, yellow pages track and field series meet
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March 14th, 2007 at 4:42 pmYeah
Isn’t Oscar an incredible young man?
Can’t you see him qualifying? I hope that the ‘powers that be’ let him take part in the Olympics in 2008 if not they will have to consider 2012 because I don’t think he’ll give up trying. I have learnt that giving up is not in his nature.
What I know about Oscar has made me think that he is an incredibly brave courageous and determined young man who doesn’t let a little thing like being a double amputee stop him.
So Oscar all power to your elbow and Good Luck I will be waiting with baited breath for the result of the outcome later on in the year.
I just found out that Oscar came second in an able-bodied race surely they can’t refuse him now?
March 20th, 2007 at 4:54 pm