Cacat tidak mematahkan semangat Qian Hongyan of Kunming, China, untuk berprestasi. Remaja yg kehilangan kedua kakinya saat kecelakaan lalu lintas diusianya 3 tahun. Oleh orangtuanya, Qian diikutsertakan dalam terapi basket. ternyata berhasil, Qian tampil sebagai pebasket cilik yg cemerlang. Tak memiliki kaki bukan halangan baginya untuk lincah di lapangan.
Apakah anda bisa membayangkan seorang cacat tanpa dua kaki bermain basket?? Tentu tidak!!! Tapi Qian telah membuktikannya. Penampilan Qian yg mengharukan itu mendapat liputan luas dari media massa internasional. Sehingga sekelompok dokter membuatkannya sepasang kaki saat dia berusia 8 tahun.Qian bukan hanya piawai bermain basket, tapi atlet cilik ini juga lincah di kolam renang. Kini ia tengah mempersiapkan diri untuk tampil dalam kejuaraan dunia atlet cacat di London, 2012. Qian rencananya juga akan tampil di cabang renang. Untuk itu kini Qian berlatih tiap hari sejauh 2000 meter.
Berikut Penyandang Cacat yang Berprestasi di Bidangnya:
Jessica Long of Baltimore, Maryland, 15 tahun, memenangkan Sullivan Award, penghargaan tertinggi bagi atlet amatir AS. Ini baru pertamakalinya penghargaan diberikan pada atlet cacat. Long terlahir tanpa tulang betis. Ia juga kehilangan beberapa tulang pada kakinya sehingga diamputasi pada usia 18 bulan setelah dia diadopsi oleh pasangan amerika.
Long mulai berenang usia 10 tahun, 2004 ia sudah mencatat prestasi meraih tiga medali emas pada Paralympic Game. Di usia 12 tahun ia juga meraih Paralympian of the Year 2006. Selain cabang renang, Long juga tampil dalam cabang senam, skating dan rock climbing.
Natalie du Toit of Cape Town, South Africa, 16 tahun, adalah atlet cacat amputasi pertama yang mendapat izin berlaga di Olimpiade musim panas Beijing, Agustus lalu. Du Toit kehilangan kaki kirinya karena kecelakaan lalu lintas, di mana dia ditabrak mobil saat mengendarai motornya ke sekolah. Akibatnya, kaki kirinya menderita luka parah dan harus diamputasi. Meski cacat, du Toit tak kehilangan semangat. Ia pun kembali berlatih renang setelah sembuh. Dia memfokuskan diri pada renang jarak jauh 10 K.
Lacey Henderson kehilangan kaki kanannya karena tumor, kemudian kaki kanan yg terkena tumor itu diamputasi saat dia berusia 9 tahun. Namun ibunya tidak patah semangat, Lacey didaftarkan pada kegiatan cheerleader di sekolahnya. Padahal semua tahu aktivitas cheerleader membutuhkan kelengkapan anggota badan. Untuk itu Lacey mendapat kaki buatan. Tenyata prestasi Lacey pada cheerleader lumayan bersinar. Di usianya 18 tahun dia bukan hanya menjadi anggota tapi juga captain tim cheerleader Universitas Denver, tempatnya kuliah.
Dustin Carter contracted a blood disease that cost him parts of all four limb when he was very young. In the eighth grade, he joined the school wrestling team, although no one expected him to excel. And he didn't for a long time. But hard work and discipline paid off in his senior year. Last month, Carter represented his school at the Ohio state wrestling championships. He placed in the top 16 of his weight class. Watch Carter wrestle in this video.
Eli Bowen was born in 1844 with feet attached directly to his pelvis. In other words, he had no legs. He developed strong arms doing farm work and training to start the career of his dreams. At age 13, he became a professional acrobat! His acrobatic act showcased his strength, but he was also known for his handsome appearance. Although he became wealthy, he never retired, continuing to perform until his death in 1924.
Dave Heeley was born visually impaired, but his eyesight deteriorated further until he was classified as blind in his twenties. Now 50, Heeley will take up the Seven Magnificent Marathons challenge and run marathons on seven continents in seven days. April 7th through the 13th, Dave and his sighted running partner Malcolm Carr will run in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, Santiago, Los Angeles, Sydney, Dubai, Tunis, and London. Heeley is in it for his favorite cause, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
Erik Weihenmayer lost his vision when he was 13 years old. He went on to become a middle school teacher, a wrestling coach, and a world-class athlete. In 2001, Weihenmayer became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The next year, he completed the Seven Summits -the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Weihenmayer is leading others, too. In 2004 he took a group of blind Tibetans up a Himalayan peak, an adventure that was recorded in a documentary called Blindsight. (image credit: Jonathan Chester).
Ludwig von Beethoven became deaf gradually, beginning in his twenties. He considered it a great tragedy and shame, and was loathe to admit it to those around him. He was profoundly deaf by his mid-forties, but kept composing using a rod to transfer sound from a piano to his jaw.
Porter Ellett of Bicknell, Utah lost his arm in an accident when he was four years old. He became a star basketball player for Wayne High School, leading the team to the state playoffs. But that's not all, he also plays on the baseball team and runs track.
Mark Goffeney was born without arms, but always wanted to be a musician. He started out playing trombone, but realized his calling in playing guitar with his feet. He founded the band Big Toe in 1992. You can hear music and see videos of Goffeney's performances at his MySpace page.
became blind gradually, possibly due to a seizure disorder. He didn't realize how bad his vision had become until he was past legally blind. Bramblitt never painted before he lost his sight. He admits it "seemed a way of shoving my disability right back in the face of God, or nature, or whatever." Now a graduate of the University of North Texas, Bramblitt is set to attend Toulouse School of Graduate Studies. A video report on his art won the 2007 YouTube Award last week in the Inspirational category.
John Bramblitt became blind gradually, possibly due to a seizure disorder. He didn't realize how bad his vision had become until he was past legally blind. Bramblitt never painted before he lost his sight. He admits it "seemed a way of shoving my disability right back in the face of God, or nature, or whatever." Now a graduate of the University of North Texas, Bramblitt is set to attend Toulouse School of Graduate Studies. A video report on his art won the 2007 YouTube Award last week in the Inspirational category.
What is most impressive about these stories of uncommon people is how common they are. The majority of the stories here have been in the news very recently. Each is one more step in changing the world's perception of the disabled.
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