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MONDAY, AUGUST 20. 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"It's something I'll definitely remember for the rest of my life. It been absolutely phenomenal. In a way, I'm glad the pressure's over."
Oscar Pistorius, ESPN
Oscar Platonius was the first double-amputee sprinter to compete in the Olympics.
ABC News
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: Which Olympian asked to trade jersey name tags with Pistorius following his win the 4x400 meter race?
A: Kirani James from Grenada
ABC News
THE MORNING BREW Olympic amputee serves as inspiration
From Michael Phelps's remarkable career-ending record of 22 Olympic medals to the clutch performances from Team USA's "Fab Five" in gymnastics, this year's Summer Olympics produced countless stunning moments and lasting memories for the world's spectators.
My favorite moment, however, did not come from a United States athlete, but rather South Africa's Oscar Pistorius.
I knew nothing about Pistorius prior to this year's games, and as far as I knew, he was just another ordinary runner from South Africa.
All of that changed when I first saw him step on the track. This 6-foot-1-inch sprinter looked and ran with the same elegance and ease as all of the other competitors. It was when he set up at the starting blocks that I noticed both of his legs had been amputated, and in their place were two prosthetic
At that moment, I knew two things: He's a fighter who doesn't let anything hold him back, and he's fast...very fast. At first, I simply hoped he could finish the race, but as soon as that gun went off, I quickly realized I had nothing to worry about. He not only completed the 400-meter qualifying race, but he nearly smoked every runner in it, finishing with a second place time of 45.44 seconds, the best time of his season.
legs.
Unbelievable.
His gutty performance earned him a spot in the semifinals, but a last place finish in that race left him out of the finals for medal contention. I didn't care, because as far as I was concerned, Pistorius already won the gold metal. He showed the world that even though he doesn't have his legs, this wasn't going to stop him from waking up in the morning, putting in countless hours of training and wearing his country's uniform with pride as he sprinted his way around London's Olympic Stadium.
Seeing Pistorius perform in the Games this year reminded me why I am so fortunate to be living the life I have today.
I have Cerebral Palsy. Yes, I use a walker to help me walk, but just like Pistorius, I too see my situation as one that can hopefully make an impact on others. While watching Pistorius compete, I noticed the Nike swoosh on the bottom of his prosthetics, and it got me
thinking. With Nike's help, maybe I can work with them toward making custom walkers out there for kids just like me who need them, since anyone who uses a walker knows very well that there is nothing out there for active and mobile kids. I wrote a letter to the company about the idea, but regardless of what they think, I will be able to look back and know that Oscar Pistorius played a big role in me taking the initiative to do something about the quality of walkers out there for kids.
Pistorius will return to London in just more than a week to participate in the 2012 Paralympics. This time, all eyes will be on him.
—Edited by Joanna Hlavacek
This week in athletics
Monday No Events Scheduled
Tuesday
Wednesday
No Events Scheduled
No Events Scheduled
Thursday
No Events Scheduled
Friday
Women's Volleyball
Northern State
4:30 p.m.
Fayetteville, Ark.
Women's Soccer Georgia 5 p.m. Lawrence
Saturday
Women's Volleyball
Tennessee-Martin
1.30 p.m.
Fayetteville, Ark.
SOCCER
Women's Volleyball
Arkansas
7 p.m.
Fayetteville, Ark.
Sunday
Women's Soccer UNLV 1 p.m. Lawrence
Jayhawks beat UC Santa Barbara in opening game
TYLER CONOVER
tconover@kansan.com
After having the go-ahead goal waived off, the rest of the 90 minutes ticked away, and neither side was able to score.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the 81st minute, freshman Ashley Williams put a deflected ball in the back of the net, but was called offside, preventing the Jayhawks from winning in regulation on Friday against UC Santa Barbara.
Then, in 97th minute, when given a second opportunity to score, Williams was able to bury the game-winning shot giving the jayhawks the first win of the season. Williams was able to make the play after the UC Santa Barbara goalkeeper misplayed a shot by sophomore forward Haley Yearout.
Early in the match, Kansas was on the offensive and had two shots bounce off the goal posts, which would have given the Jahayhs a comfortable lead. UCSB battled back with good defensive play and was able to score off of a header by sophomore defender Miranda Cornejo following a free kick.
"It was a great shot from Haley, and I just hoped that the goalie would bobble it or it would hit off the post or the side bar," Williams said. "I was in the right spot at the right time, I guess."
The Jayhawks outshot the Gauchos 19-6 which put them in position to score, but Santa Barbara goalkeeper Mikkenna Henry played a good game.
"Their keeper, I thought, played really, really well today," coach Mark Francis said. "We probably had five really good chances to score that we couldn't finish, but the good thing is we created those opportunities."
Friday's game was the first regular season game for both teams; however, both teams appeared to be in good condition..
As the game wore on, neither side seemed to slow down..
"The kids showed a lot of guts, I thought, because it was hot and they were starting to get tired and sometimes there is a tendency to make mental mistakes, but the kids showed a lot of focus today," Francis said.
Francis wanted to keep his team organized on defense. Limiting the Gauchos to only nine shots in the game was a big part of the win on Friday.
"I think we did a good job containing them and not letting them get too many clear shot opportunities," Francis said.
— Edited by Ryan McCarthy
Forward Caroline Kaster battles for the ball with a UC Santa Barbara defender. After a scoreless first half, the Jayhawks and UC Santa Barbara scored, tying the game. The dramatic season opener ended with a Jayhawk goal in overtime to win the game.
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN
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