Oscar Pistorius was the first double amputee to compete at an able - bodied Paralympics . He described the Olympics of 2012 as a ` ` dream come true '' after Paralympic gold . The South African had both legs paralyzed below the knee when he was 11 months old . He took up track running as part of his rehabilitation , and within one year he was covering 100 meters faster than the existing Paralympic world record . He started playing football at an early age and became a role model for people worldwide .
Oscar Pistorius was the first double amputee to compete at an able - bodied Paralympics . He described the Olympics of 2012 as a ` ` dream come true '' after Paralympic gold . The South African had both legs paralyzed below the knee when he was 11 months old . He started playing football at an early age and became a role model for people worldwide .