• • •

Pewnego dnia natknęłam się na wycinek z gazety. Było na nim zdjęcie dwóch młodych kobiet. Każda z nich nie miała jednej nogi. Każda z nich biega w maratonach i triatlonach. Powaliły mnie swoją odwagą i determinacją. I zainspirowały do życia — mojego własnego, prawdziwego życia.

Sarah Reinertsen (right on the picture) was born with a deformed left leg and the scene she remembered most from growing up was when the soccer coach wouldn’t let her play with the other kids. Nope. She was told to go over the wall and kick the ball against it all by herself.

There seemed to be a wall when it came to people who were different.

Scout Bassett (left on the picture) had her right leg burned off in a fire while living in an orphanage in China. When she was adopted at the age of seven and brought to the United States, she spoke not one word of English.

Sarah went through the wall and over it. She set the above knee amputee world record for the marathon and the half marathon and in 2005 become the first female above the knee amputee to finish the Ironman. Scout learned English language in six weeks, won a district spelling bee, made her high school golf team, has completed two triathlons and will be attending UCLA in the fall of 2007 on an academic scholarship. Limits?

Sorry… none here.