The first is Amy Palmiero-Winters. She lost her leg in a motorcycle accident. She was a runner before her accident, and now after losing her left leg she runs with a prosthetic. That someone would keep running after losing a leg is amazing but Amy runs endurance races - 100 mile races! The New York Times article described Amy's running:
Running on customized left legs, she is able to beat endurance runners with her lower limbs in races that last 24 hours, go more than 100 miles, up hills, through deserts. She says running endurance races does not compare to the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races of Oscar Pistorius, the admirable South African runner who has artificial lower legs and has been ruled ineligible for Olympic competition.The other inspiring individual is Tommy Carroll. Tommy is blind. He wasn't born without sight but lost it when he was 2 years old. Tommy is on the Glenbrook South High School cross country team. With the help of his teammates Tommy practices and competes. Tommy holds the arm of one of his teammates but beyond this one unique characteristic, Tommy's runs are just like those of the other boys on his team and on the teams he competes against.
In the Chicago Tribune article one of Tommy's coaches is quoted as saying this about him:
"The best thing about Tommy is he doesn't act like (he's blind)," Glenbrook South assistant track coach Chris Hilvert said. "He just does what everybody else does."On top of being athletes both of these individuals do much more in their lives. Amy is a working mom and Tommy is an honor student who also skateboards, wrestles and has completed triathlons. Their will to push their bodies to the limit and to live active lives (isn't that an understatement?) is a great motivator for me. The next time I feel a little achy or have a sore knee or ankle and I think about skipping a workout I'll try to remember Amy and Tommy.
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