The Disabled Olympian You Might Not Have Heard Of
I wish Oscar Pistorius the very best for the Olympics, but he’s not the only athlete who is also a Paralympian:
The second dual Olympic and Paralympic athlete is Poland’s Natalia Partyka. She was born without a right hand or forearm and has been playing table tennis since the age of seven. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, she was the youngest of the Paralympians, competing at just 11 years old.
She made her Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008. Ranked as number 68 in the world, she was never a medal hopeful for London 2012 in the individual event but that didn’t stop the crowd from getting behind her when she played at the Olympic Park on Sunday.
According to Yahoo Sport’s Jeff Eisenberg, Natalia’s game is almost identical to that of a non-disabled player. He says: “The only impact Partyka’s disability has on her table tennis game is her serve. Whereas other players begin their serve by tossing the ball with their off hand, she has learned to do the same by cradling the ball in the crook of her right elbow.”
Partyka told the BBC that disability is “nothing” to her and that being asked about it all the time becomes a bit boring. “I am playing the same lines as the others. I am doing the same exercises.
“We have the same goals and the same dreams and I can play like them. I can serve and don’t have any problems.”
Her Olympic team event is on Friday. When this is behind her, she’ll begin preparations for the Paralympic Games which start on August 29.
Same Difference 