Oscar Pistorius is the South African Paralympic runner famous for trying to compete at the Olympics. He is known as "Blade Runner" because of the artificial limbs he uses to sprint. He is also dubbed "the fastest man on no legs". Pistorius is the double amputee world record holder and in the 100, 200 and 400 metres. He won gold medals in these events at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics.

 

Pistorius was born in 1986 with the fibula bone missing in both of his legs. When he was 11 months old, doctors amputated his legs halfway between his knees and ankles. His disability did not stop him from enjoying sports. At school he was very keen on rugby, water polo and tennis. He started running in 2004 and says he has "never looked back".

 

He runs on a pair of specially-developed carbon-fibre blades. At the 2004 Summer Paralympics, he won the 200-metre final with a world record time. In 2005, he finished first in the able-bodied South African Championships over 400 metres and won the 400-metre gold at the Paralympic World Cup. He decided to compete at the Beijing Olympics.

 

Pistorius tried to prove he could compete with the best able-bodied runners in the world. His biggest obstacle was the international athletics federation who decided his blades were a “technological aid” and therefore illegal. He now has his sights set on the 2012 London Olympics. His motto is: "You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."