I read this story in the International Herald Tribune and was so compelled by it that I felt I had to give my thoughts on this heroic man. His name is Oscar Pistorius and he’s from South Africa. He was born a double amputee below his knees and now rocks prosthetic carbon-fiber blades below his knees that enable him to run. And Oscar runs….fast.

Pistorius has been invited to race in the 400 meter at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Sheffield, England this weekend. This race won’t be against others who are disabled like Oscar. No, this will be against guys who are fully able and haven’t ever had to deal with the pressure of racing on legs that weren’t real. They don’t know adversity like Oscar does. But that adversity is something that has made Oscar stronger. In races during the Paralympics, Pistorius beat competitors in the 400 by over 100 meters. No small feat. Now he gets to try against former Olympians. Remember Jeremy Wariner from the past summer Olympics? He might be one of the fastest white people I’ve ever seen. Remember former gold medalist in the relay Darold Williamson from the United States? They’ll both be racing against Pistorius.

This is one of those stories that strikes you in a different way from most. It’s a story that shines as an example of courage, overcoming obstacles that most people wouldn’t be strong enough to, and a story of hope for athletes, both able and disabled, who want to do something powerful with their lives. I don’t care if he’s the favorite in this race and I don’t care if he’s a long shot in the race. The fact that he’s come this far and overcome so much and gets to compete against Olympians despite being born a double amputee is remarkable in itself. This is quickly becoming a world where stories like this go untold and all you hear about is Pacman this and Tank Johnson that. These are the stories that count. These are the ones that people should care about. People always look for role models. If you ask me, Oscar Pistorius raced his way right to the top of my list.