To me, it is the athlete that has made a comeback and achieves, who is the one that should be honoured more than any other.
And when I say comeback I don’t mean the kind made by a few boxers and more recently, a few swimmers. The reasons range from boredom, financial pressure or just relevance deprivation. I don’t mean those in this category.
I mean those who have overcome injury, illness and life’s great adversities to be competitive again.
Some of these athletes may never win again but just to take part for some is just mind blowing for the odds they have overcome. Perhaps the most recent and also most controversial is seven time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong.
The jury is still out on the legitimacies of those wins, but just the fact he beat cancer and was back competing is the achievement.
The London Olympics is littered with those kinds of stories and they are just so inspiring and heart warming.
Whether you believe Oscar Pistorius should be competing against the able bodies or not his ability to overcome not being born with bones in his lower legs, to be a competitive athlete, is amazing.
A sports psychologist once said to me “everyone suffers to some level and at some point so don’t think you are anything special”. This was following my own diagnosis with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was told I would never run again, play tennis and may even struggle to walk.
“You can either lay down and sulk or manage it and return at some level,” it seemed a long way off as I was only managing to walk with the aid a of a frame at the time.
It was the Lance Armstrong like stories that made me determined to prove the doctors wrong.
But my favourite of all has to be Cuban, Anna Quirot.
The Barcelona Olympic 800 metres bronze medallist suffered horrendous burns in 1993 while washing clothes in a kerosene driven washer.
The kerosene spilled on to her body and then ignited. So badly burned and so close to death was she, that the doctors induced her labour in an attempt to at least save the baby she was carrying.
Her partner at the time was world record high jumper, Javier Sotomayor. Unfortunately, the baby did not survive and but after a month in intensive care Quirot herself beat the odds and slowly recovered.
She returned to running as just part of her mental and physical recovery. Her once beautiful body and face was now horribly scarred and it became a stark reminder to what she had overcome every time she stepped onto the track.
In 1995 one of the greatest comebacks in history was completed. Quirot won the 800 metres world title in Gothenburg.
The tears that flooded down her face when she received the Olympic silver in Atlanta behind Russian Svetlana Masterkova, spoke volumes of the pain she had endured.
But she was not finished yet.
Quirot defended her world title in 1997 in Athens defeating the great rival Maria Mutola.
I am sure everyone has their own comeback inspiration story. Anna Quirot’s is mine.
troyaleo
Guest
Great, Ana quirot is my favorite track and field atlete. She is strong outside and inside her. When she was ruuning at Barcelona 92 she was pregnant. She become strong, I love her.
k77sujith
Guest
Always good to have a laugh :)
Jocelyn McLennan
Roar Guru
I often makes jokes and humour about it...the same day I watched a weightlifter hyper-extend his elbow lifting the equivalent of the lounge room couch above his head ,I hyper-extended mine.....screwing up a piece of paper....I kid you not....such a wuss....
Bondy.
Guest
A blessing in disguise.
k77sujith
Guest
Bekele's story is so sad. It's amazing how he managed to find the drive to compete...truly inspirational. Well, I hope you look after yourself Jocelyn and strike the right balance in terms of weight, strength and movement of the body. My mom suffers the same and it must be very hard for you to comprehend as well. Take care.
Jocelyn McLennan
Roar Guru
I have good days and some not so good days...if I push it I suffer the swelling...all a case of balance and moderation...but at least I can walk and for that I am very grateful...another great story is Keninisa Bekele had his wife drop dead beside him while they were on a trianing run together...very hard to carry on after that but he has...
k77sujith
Roar Guru
Your favourite comeback story on Quirot is indeed an emotional one and what determination to fight the odds and triumph against adversity...epic stuff. Anna Meares, like Sandy B mentioned, is yet another magnificent comeback story. Pistorius & Armstrong easily make the list as you've mentioned too. Caster Semenya might not have had to endure physical pain but is a worthy comeback story I'd reckon. Sorry to hear about the arthritis but Im sure you're a fighter and wish you well. Thanks.
Jocelyn McLennan
Roar Guru
Anna is one of the great stories....and humble too.....rarely does she mention it in her pressers or during any media interview....class act
Sandy B
Guest
Anna Meares - racing tonight - had a broken neck before winning gold in Beijing
drom5343
Roar Rookie
I think it's Jo Rowsell of the Women's British Team Persuit squad this year, she was diagnosed with that hair loss disorder at a young age. I think it's quite inspirational for her to get to where she is now (Olympic Gold!!??) considering what she had to go through at a young developing age. Comeback? not sure, but definately inspirational.
Jocelyn McLennan
Roar Guru
But still a great inspiration story in itself,,,he is one I had in mind when writing this story.
apaway
Roar Guru
I know it's not an Olympic story but Jason McCartney suffered horrible injuries in the Bali bombing and came back to play for North Melbourne in the AFL. He promptly retired after that comeback game. One of the most stirring moments I have seen in sport.
Jocelyn McLennan
Roar Guru
RC97 When you have done all you can with the cards you have been dealt then you are a champion and are victorius. You are going to be a champion no matter what you do from now on. You greatest opponent is your disease and with your great attitude, it will not win. As my psych says, evyerone suffers at some point. Some never let others know bur unfortunatley some over do it from a PR point of view and make it almost nauseating to mention it at EVERY press conference and after every win or loss almost using it as her excuse. I am talking of Serena Williams here. Anna Klybenova and Corinna Moriou are two tennis players who beat cancer to come back to play and win but you never heard them go on about it relentlessly like Williams. Even her own sister Venus suffers from a similar case of the same disease I have but she just gets on and plays. Those of us who are blessed to born with healthy limbs have the same chance as anyone else. It is what we do with that gift that counts. There is nothing more tragic than a potential champion athlete treating their gift with contempt and laziness. Everyone that has 2 perfect legs and if they sit on the couch all day and get fat and lazy and are not going to use them then perhaps they can give them to Oscar Pistorius or someone in a wheel chair because they would love the use of them if that person doesn't have a need for them!.
Bondy.
Guest
Good on you lad.I hope you Rugby goes well.
RC97
Guest
Thanks Moses Steve Redgrave is certainly a huge inspiration didn't know about the others I also find Oscar pistorious as mentioned in the article incredible really helps me. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Moses
Roar Rookie
That's brilliant. I'm sure you're aware of this but Steve Redgrave, then a four-time gold medallist rower, was diagnosed with Type 1 before the Sydney Olympics. He went ahead and won his fifth gold medal. Brett Stewart the Manly, NSW and Australian rugby league full-back was also diagnosed as a Type 1 at around your age. And there are others like Steve Renouf and Wasim Akram. All very inspiring athletes.
RC97
Guest
It's not the same as being burned but 6 months ago I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes I'm 14 and with no family history it came as a bit of a shock, I also do a lot of sport and want to be a rugby player or athlete in the future and would love to compete in the olympics and I've found it's really drove me to try I was a lazy little s*** before but now I'm in the middle of school summer holiday and have being doing 3 hours of fairly intense exercise everyday plus minimum of 100 press ups and 100 sit ups before I go to bed, I feel having it really has made me realise not everything's gonna come to you and If given the option I don't think I'd want to swap it, I don't where I'd be without it. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Bondy.
Guest
In watching the heats for the hurdles last night Lolo Jones is a very interesting case favourite for the final in Beijing and fell at the ninth hurdle of ten in the final in Beijing with a clear margin, she's made the final tonight as has Sal. What a cracking race this will be.
Johnno
Guest
For me here is a few. 2 from USA but in winter Olympics. Dan Jansen in 1994 Llllihammer winter oylmpics , got a gold . Was world champ often in and from 1984-94 was the favourite but gold alluded him in both the 1984-94 games, until the very last event he had the 1000m sprint after missing out on gold in the 500m he got the 1000m gold. The hoodoo had been broken a multiple world champ and record holder gold was alluding him but he got 1 in his last race in his career. -Nancy Kerrigan too in the winter olympics was an awesome comeback. in 1994 after being attacked in plan by rival tonya harding, kerrigan somehow comeback and won silver in 1994 olympics. -Monica seles to me was the ultimate comeback and there is an and Aussy and Olympic twist in it as well. After her 1993 attack she won both the aussy open in 1996, but also got a a bronze medal at sydney 20000. -Carl Lewis came back in the Atlanta 1996 long jump when he was trailing and got another gold in 4 different olympics. - The great 400m hurdler Edwin Moses came back a few times whom bronze at seoul was a legendary runner held lots of world records. -The great merlon otter kept coming back coz she loves athletics and even tried to make this olympics and only just missed out and her 1st one was in 1980 moscow. To me Merlene ottey is one of the greatest olympians not to win gold a phenomenal runner just always pipped at the post for gold.