First athlete with a disability qualifies for Beijing Olympics

In the cold open waters of Spain last weekend, Natalie Du Toit became the first disabled athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games. Natalie is a 24-year-old South African swimmer that I watched swim for most of my career. The range of speed, drama, and crowd appeal ranges with adapted swimming. Since Natalie is in a much higher class than me, those races are always exceptionally fast and usually highlights of the meet. She won several medals (5 golds and a silver) in Athens and her kick is enough to motor a small cruise ship. It's impressive for any swimmer, but especially amazing given the fact she's a single leg amputee. She lost her leg after being hit by a car while riding her scooter 7 years ago.

[Photo caption: Natalie Du Toit, single leg amputee swimmer, dives into open waters.]

Natalie completed the 10 kilometer swim in just over 2 hours and 2 minutes. She came in 4th place out of all the swimmers but was only 5 seconds behind the winner! She beat all of the American swimmers and has officially qualified for the Beijing Olympics. She's not the first athlete with a disability to compete in the Olympics but the first one to qualify for these Games. Marla Runyan compete for the United States in the 2000 Sydney Games as a legally blind runner. A paraplegic archer competed for New Zealand back in 1984. If cleared by her country to swim in the Olympics, Natalie would be among the first group of athletes to debut this new Olympic event, the open water swim.

Given all the hoopla and chants of inspiration about the Oscar Pistorius story, I'm a little surprised that there's been so little coverage of Natalie's accomplishment. I stumbled upon it yesterday while browsing a swimming blog, but I haven't seen it covered as a "disability story" yet. Maybe it's because she qualified-fair and square. Swimmers don't (and can't) wear their prosthetics while they swim so there's no debate about technology. Everyone's in the same water! I've been exceedingly cynical the last couple of weeks but I believe the difference in attention given to Oscar compared to Natalie has NOTHING to do with athleticism or sport and ALL to do with pity.

Pity...the four letter word strikes again! Americans feel sorry for Oscar that he can't run in the Olympics because of a ruling made by a team of scientists. There's no loss or sorrow in the story of Natalie Du Toit, so I think much of the public isn't quite sure what to say! 

What do you think? I know Disaboomers always have something to say and I'm ready to hear it!