Justin Gallegos recently made history when he became the first ever runner with cerebral palsy to be signed with the giant sportswear brand, Nike.
Justin received the three-year contract from the Insight Director for Nike, John Douglass after he finished a cross-country race on the 6th of October which happened to be World Cerebral Palsy Day. Cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture that is caused by damage that occurs to the immature, developing brain, most often before birth.
Justin however has proved to the world that there is no such thing as inability. This is not the first time in the world of athletics that a physically challenged person has defied the odds to make history in the world.
Oscar Pistorius, renowned South African runner was born with fibular hemimelia, a birth defect where part or all of the fibular bone is missing. Oscar had both his legs amputated when he was only 11 months old. However, this did not stop him from pursuing his dreams. He became an award winning sprint runner who set records in the Paralympics. He also became the first amputee to participate in Olympic games and win a non-disabled world track medal.
Our very own Henry Wanyoike has also proved that disability is not inability. Mr. Wanyoike lost his sight at the age of 21 after he suffered a stroke.
According to him, “I went to bed a normal person, the following day I found myself in darkness.”
However, being blind has not stopped the celebrated Kenyan athlete who became one of the world’s fastest runners. He has competed in Paralympics and marathon racing. Mr. Wanyoike has won gold and silver medals in the marathon, half-marathon, 10 km road race, the 10,000 meters, 5,000 meters and the 1,500 meters which has made him one of the few athletes who have ventured in a number of races.
Till date, Mr. Wanyoike holds the world record for blind runners when he did 2:31:31 at the Hamburg Marathon in 2005.
Rocky Bleier, an American footballer was hit by enemy shrapnel and rifle fire during the Vietnam war which led to the partial loss of his foot. Bleier however, returned to football and even played in the super bowl four times and received a ring for each of the games.