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Blade Runner
At 11 months old, Oscar Pistorius had both his legs amputated below the knee. His mother wrote a letter to be read by Oscar when he was grown "A loser is not one who runs last in the race. It is the one who sits and watches, and has never tried to run." On discovering that their son had been born with no fibulae, Oscar's parents made the difficult decision to have both his legs amputated, giving him the best possible chance of a normal life. Oscar received his first pair of prosthetic legs at just 17 months, made specifically for him. From then on he became invincible—running, climbing, and, with the encouragement of his older brother, getting into any mischief he could. Throughout the course of his life Oscar has battled to overcome extraordinary difficulties to prove that, with the right attitude, anything is possible. Now a world-renowned athlete holding two Paralympic Games world records for the 100m and 200m, Oscar faces his ultimate to fulfil the dream of competing at the 2012 Olympics. Blade Runner charts the extraordinary development of one of the most gifted sportsmen and inspirational figures on the planet—rom immobilizd child to world-class sprinter.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
16 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 15, 2012
To say I'm a bit obsessed with Oscar Pistorius would be like saying the Pacific Ocean is a bit moist! The first time I saw him on TV, I was stunned. To see a so-called disabled person with that strength, speed and athleticism is a moment that changes your mindset forever. This book, although short (understandably; its subject IS only 25 years old!), didn't tell me anything surprising about him but it did move me, impress me, and proved to be almost impossible to close and set down for more than a few minutes.
Some memoirs, biographies and autobiographies are let down by bad writing and layout but this isn't one of those. The editing could be tighter in one or two places but it makes no difference to the strength of the story. My favourite thing about this book are the amusing little stories from Oscar's childhood, the ones that illustrate the incredible influence his upbringing had on making him who he is today. The absolute normality of his family life is wonderful and a fantastic example of people who dealt with a problem by just getting on with their lives.
Although I love watching sport, I am not an athletic person at all but reading the chapters of the book about the technical aspects of his struggle to compete on a level playing ground and to reach his potential as an athlete are actually really interesting. It's very enlightening to read that he goes out on track to challenge himself and beat his own records, rather than to race against others. I'd never seen sport from that viewpoint before.
I really hope Oscar does another memoir in about ten years because I think, without exaggeration, his career is going to be one of the most amazing achievements in human history. He affects and changes everyone who sees him run.
Some memoirs, biographies and autobiographies are let down by bad writing and layout but this isn't one of those. The editing could be tighter in one or two places but it makes no difference to the strength of the story. My favourite thing about this book are the amusing little stories from Oscar's childhood, the ones that illustrate the incredible influence his upbringing had on making him who he is today. The absolute normality of his family life is wonderful and a fantastic example of people who dealt with a problem by just getting on with their lives.
Although I love watching sport, I am not an athletic person at all but reading the chapters of the book about the technical aspects of his struggle to compete on a level playing ground and to reach his potential as an athlete are actually really interesting. It's very enlightening to read that he goes out on track to challenge himself and beat his own records, rather than to race against others. I'd never seen sport from that viewpoint before.
I really hope Oscar does another memoir in about ten years because I think, without exaggeration, his career is going to be one of the most amazing achievements in human history. He affects and changes everyone who sees him run.
April 24, 2013
I chose to read Blade Runner by Oscar Pistorious because he was one of my favourite sportsmen ever.He was the first disabled person to run in the Olympics against able-bodied athletes. This is a very big achievement, in my opinion.
This book ticks off the autobiography or diary square on my wide reading sheet. I was excited to finally read an autobiography because I had never read one before. Autobiographies and diaries are great because you can see inside their private lives and know what feelings they have when they do numerous things.
My favourite character in this book is Oscar's dad, Henk. Henk looked after Oscar very well ever since he was born. Every time Oscar needed a new pair of prosthetics he would pay the huge bill to make his boy happy. Also when Oscar was a teenager and he had just started his running career no one believed that he could do it but Henk believed him and become his manager.
My favourite quote was written on the cover of the book and it said 'inspirational' (The Scotsman). I think that one word sums up the book very well. He has proven to many people that if you want to be something when you're older then you can, you just need to keep trying until you succeed. I'm sure he has inspired hundreds of disabled people all around the world to keep going and to never give up.
When I was about half the way through the book I fund out that Oscar had been accused of shooting his partner. I almost stopped reading the book but I wanted to read on and see if he was a violent person. In the book he didn't seem violent but he loved guns and he kept one in his bedside table, because in South Africa you can never be too careful. After the shooting i didn't like him as much and he wasn't one of my favourite sportsmen anymore.
This book ticks off the autobiography or diary square on my wide reading sheet. I was excited to finally read an autobiography because I had never read one before. Autobiographies and diaries are great because you can see inside their private lives and know what feelings they have when they do numerous things.
My favourite character in this book is Oscar's dad, Henk. Henk looked after Oscar very well ever since he was born. Every time Oscar needed a new pair of prosthetics he would pay the huge bill to make his boy happy. Also when Oscar was a teenager and he had just started his running career no one believed that he could do it but Henk believed him and become his manager.
My favourite quote was written on the cover of the book and it said 'inspirational' (The Scotsman). I think that one word sums up the book very well. He has proven to many people that if you want to be something when you're older then you can, you just need to keep trying until you succeed. I'm sure he has inspired hundreds of disabled people all around the world to keep going and to never give up.
When I was about half the way through the book I fund out that Oscar had been accused of shooting his partner. I almost stopped reading the book but I wanted to read on and see if he was a violent person. In the book he didn't seem violent but he loved guns and he kept one in his bedside table, because in South Africa you can never be too careful. After the shooting i didn't like him as much and he wasn't one of my favourite sportsmen anymore.
February 17, 2013
I normally don't watch track events or interviews with runners, but I happened to catch a TV story about Oscar Pistorius of South Africa at the London Olympics this summer. Pistorius is the first differently abled runner to participate on equal terms in the Olympics with normally abled runners. Pistorius has no legs, and runs on very lightweight prosthetics developed for athletes. He's set records running in the Paralympics. I thought that his story was amazing and I wanted to find out more. So I obtained a copy of Oscar Pistorius's memoir, Blade Runner.
In this memoir Pistorius deals with the charge that his prosthetics give him an advantage over able-bodied athletes. He appealed to the Court of Arbitration For Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland arguing that only the advantages of his prosthetics had been considered, not their disadvantages. He won his appeal and was thus able to compete in the London Olympics.
Being a great athlete isn't the only extraordinary thing about Oscar Pistorius. He apparently cared about those who lost limbs to landmines, and had made this his cause even though he was not a victim of a landmine.
Update February 2013
Unfortunately, given recent events, Oscar Pistorius is no longer considered a role model for anyone. He has become part of a pattern of athletes who succomb to inner demons.
For my complete review see my October blog post "Oscar Pistorius: Athletic Phenomenon and Anti-Landmine Activist" at http://www.maskedpersona.blogspot.com
In this memoir Pistorius deals with the charge that his prosthetics give him an advantage over able-bodied athletes. He appealed to the Court of Arbitration For Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland arguing that only the advantages of his prosthetics had been considered, not their disadvantages. He won his appeal and was thus able to compete in the London Olympics.
Being a great athlete isn't the only extraordinary thing about Oscar Pistorius. He apparently cared about those who lost limbs to landmines, and had made this his cause even though he was not a victim of a landmine.
Update February 2013
Unfortunately, given recent events, Oscar Pistorius is no longer considered a role model for anyone. He has become part of a pattern of athletes who succomb to inner demons.
For my complete review see my October blog post "Oscar Pistorius: Athletic Phenomenon and Anti-Landmine Activist" at http://www.maskedpersona.blogspot.com
January 15, 2020
This book definitely was interesting to me and very inspiring. It was a story about a South African man with prosthetic legs made it all the way to the Olympics. I enjoyed the book but I couldn't get out of my mind what happened after this book was written. For anybody that doesn't know, he shot his wife 4 times. This really altered the way I saw the book.
November 10, 2019
Inspiring
January 3, 2021
life story of Oz, who was born with a disability, and who changed that situation into his ability.
Great read, it shows a ray of hope to the readers.
Great read, it shows a ray of hope to the readers.
August 17, 2012
Loy Machedo’s Book Review - Blade Runner by Oscar Pistorius
Given the 2012 Olympics which were at its peak, it was but obvious that books on Athletes would be advertised and marketed – be it the likes of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt or even Lance Armstrong. And it was among the mountain of book related to sports, sports nutrition and personalities, did my eyes fall on Oscar Pistorius book ‘Blade Runner’.
Oscar Leonardo Carl Pistorius, popularly known as ‘the fastest man on no legs’, is a double below-knee amputee and the World Record Holder for T44 (single below knee amputees) in the 100, 200 and 400 meter events. It was only in the year 2007, when Pistorius took part in his 1st International Competition for able-bodied athletes that he became a media sensation. That in turn lead to the controversial question – were his prosthetic legs the reason for his amazing speed and strength giving him the unfair advantage over able-bodied athletes.
This book is a brief account of young man who had to go through a life changing operation, the challenges he had to face both due to his condition, then the divorce of his parents, his relationship break up and subsequently, his journey into the Olympics and to a legacy that has left him an inspirational legend in the world of sports. What I liked about this book was the simplicity, the sincerity and the straight-forward style of writing that was Omni-present throughout the book. It also brought forth his fear, his doubts, his triumphs as well as his failures both in his professional and personal life. And then to cap it all off, Pistorius ends his book with two letters he had received – one from his elder brother and the last one from his father. A beautifully balanced book with not too much nor too less for a reader to enjoy and understand.
Overall, this book is a very easy read and very inspirational in its content. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and couldn’t think of any drawbacks to it. Rarely if ever do we come across such a personality; that is why I would say, since you have the opportunity – Buy the book, read it and enjoy it.
Overall Rating – 9 out of 10.
Loy Machedo
loymachedo.com
Given the 2012 Olympics which were at its peak, it was but obvious that books on Athletes would be advertised and marketed – be it the likes of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt or even Lance Armstrong. And it was among the mountain of book related to sports, sports nutrition and personalities, did my eyes fall on Oscar Pistorius book ‘Blade Runner’.
Oscar Leonardo Carl Pistorius, popularly known as ‘the fastest man on no legs’, is a double below-knee amputee and the World Record Holder for T44 (single below knee amputees) in the 100, 200 and 400 meter events. It was only in the year 2007, when Pistorius took part in his 1st International Competition for able-bodied athletes that he became a media sensation. That in turn lead to the controversial question – were his prosthetic legs the reason for his amazing speed and strength giving him the unfair advantage over able-bodied athletes.
This book is a brief account of young man who had to go through a life changing operation, the challenges he had to face both due to his condition, then the divorce of his parents, his relationship break up and subsequently, his journey into the Olympics and to a legacy that has left him an inspirational legend in the world of sports. What I liked about this book was the simplicity, the sincerity and the straight-forward style of writing that was Omni-present throughout the book. It also brought forth his fear, his doubts, his triumphs as well as his failures both in his professional and personal life. And then to cap it all off, Pistorius ends his book with two letters he had received – one from his elder brother and the last one from his father. A beautifully balanced book with not too much nor too less for a reader to enjoy and understand.
Overall, this book is a very easy read and very inspirational in its content. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and couldn’t think of any drawbacks to it. Rarely if ever do we come across such a personality; that is why I would say, since you have the opportunity – Buy the book, read it and enjoy it.
Overall Rating – 9 out of 10.
Loy Machedo
loymachedo.com
February 7, 2021
(वैयक्तिक आयुष्यात सोनाली माझी जिवलग मैत्रिण असली तरी, मी मला जसे वाटले वाचताना ते व्यक्त करत आहे) :
‘ड्रीमरनर’ (ऑस्कर पिस्टोरियस, सहलेखक गियान्नी मेरलो).
याचा अनुवाद केला आहे लेखिका सोनाली नवांगुळ यांनी…. (मनोविकास प्रकाशन).
इंग्रजीमधे ‘ब्लेडरनर’ म्हणून ओळखला गेलेला, प्राॅस्थेटिक्सचा वापर करणारा, पॅरॅलिम्पिक्सच नव्हे, तर ऑलिंपिक्स आणि इतर अनेक शर्यतीत भाग घेत, प्राॅस्थेटिक्सचा वापर तांत्रिक फायदा तर देत नाही याची खात्री करून घेतली जाईपर्यंत बंदीला तोंड देत, तसे नसल्याचे वैद्यकीय आणि वैज्ञानिक तपासणी करून सिद्ध करत, विश्वविक्रम रचणाऱ्या धावपटू ऑस्कर पिस्टोरियस याचे धावपटू म्हणून घडतानाचे आयुष्य आणि वैयक्तिक आयुष्य उलगडणारे पुस्तक…. त्याच्यावर गर्लफ्रेंडच्या हत्येचा आरोप लागण्यापूर्वी हे पुस्तक लिहिले गेलेले…
जन्मतः अम्प्युटेशनची गरज असलेले पाय घेऊन जन्मलेले बाळ पुढे विश्वविक्रम करणारा धावपटू होईल असे कुणाला वाटले पण नसेल…..
कधी चालण्याचाही अनुभव नसलेली मी… त्यामुळे या धावपटूचे अनुभव, त्यातील तांत्रिक बाबी आणि माहिती समजून घेताना माझी स्वतःची अक्षरशः कसरत झाली…. पण त्यात दिसला एक अतिशय पॅशनेटली मेहनत करणारा धावपटू, लँडमाईन (भुसुरुंग)ने हात-पाय गमावलेल्या माणसांना आर्टिफिशियल लिंब्स वापरणाऱ्यांना आपला प्राॅस्थेटिक्सचा अनुभव उपयोगी पडावा म्हणून काम करत असणारा समाजसेवक…
त्यावेळी पुस्तक अनुवादित करताना, इंग्रजीमधून मराठीत भाषांतर करताना सोनाली कदाचित नवखी असावी अनुवादात, म्हणून सुरुवातीला काही वेळा वाक्यरचना जशीच्या तशी वाटली पण पुढे इतके ते मस्त जमले आहे की असे वाटते ऑस्कर पिस्टोरियस स्वतःच आपल्यापाशी गप्पा मारत बसला आहे….!
एक वेगळा विषय असलेले खूप सुंदर पुस्तक आहे ! नक्की वाचा…. धावपटू म्हणून त्याच्याकडे बघा, तर त्या पुस्तकाच्या लेखनाला न्याय मिळेल… ऑस्कर स्वत:सुद्धा याच कारणासाठी आरोपाला सामोरा गेला, हे सिद्ध करण्यासाठी की मेहनतीने तयार झालेला खेळाडू हा खेळाडू असतो, त्यात कोणताही भेदभाव नको…..
या पुस्तकाला GoodReads वर माझे ३ स्टार रेटिंग :
⭐⭐⭐
‘ड्रीमरनर’ (ऑस्कर पिस्टोरियस, सहलेखक गियान्नी मेरलो).
याचा अनुवाद केला आहे लेखिका सोनाली नवांगुळ यांनी…. (मनोविकास प्रकाशन).
इंग्रजीमधे ‘ब्लेडरनर’ म्हणून ओळखला गेलेला, प्राॅस्थेटिक्सचा वापर करणारा, पॅरॅलिम्पिक्सच नव्हे, तर ऑलिंपिक्स आणि इतर अनेक शर्यतीत भाग घेत, प्राॅस्थेटिक्सचा वापर तांत्रिक फायदा तर देत नाही याची खात्री करून घेतली जाईपर्यंत बंदीला तोंड देत, तसे नसल्याचे वैद्यकीय आणि वैज्ञानिक तपासणी करून सिद्ध करत, विश्वविक्रम रचणाऱ्या धावपटू ऑस्कर पिस्टोरियस याचे धावपटू म्हणून घडतानाचे आयुष्य आणि वैयक्तिक आयुष्य उलगडणारे पुस्तक…. त्याच्यावर गर्लफ्रेंडच्या हत्येचा आरोप लागण्यापूर्वी हे पुस्तक लिहिले गेलेले…
जन्मतः अम्प्युटेशनची गरज असलेले पाय घेऊन जन्मलेले बाळ पुढे विश्वविक्रम करणारा धावपटू होईल असे कुणाला वाटले पण नसेल…..
कधी चालण्याचाही अनुभव नसलेली मी… त्यामुळे या धावपटूचे अनुभव, त्यातील तांत्रिक बाबी आणि माहिती समजून घेताना माझी स्वतःची अक्षरशः कसरत झाली…. पण त्यात दिसला एक अतिशय पॅशनेटली मेहनत करणारा धावपटू, लँडमाईन (भुसुरुंग)ने हात-पाय गमावलेल्या माणसांना आर्टिफिशियल लिंब्स वापरणाऱ्यांना आपला प्राॅस्थेटिक्सचा अनुभव उपयोगी पडावा म्हणून काम करत असणारा समाजसेवक…
त्यावेळी पुस्तक अनुवादित करताना, इंग्रजीमधून मराठीत भाषांतर करताना सोनाली कदाचित नवखी असावी अनुवादात, म्हणून सुरुवातीला काही वेळा वाक्यरचना जशीच्या तशी वाटली पण पुढे इतके ते मस्त जमले आहे की असे वाटते ऑस्कर पिस्टोरियस स्वतःच आपल्यापाशी गप्पा मारत बसला आहे….!
एक वेगळा विषय असलेले खूप सुंदर पुस्तक आहे ! नक्की वाचा…. धावपटू म्हणून त्याच्याकडे बघा, तर त्या पुस्तकाच्या लेखनाला न्याय मिळेल… ऑस्कर स्वत:सुद्धा याच कारणासाठी आरोपाला सामोरा गेला, हे सिद्ध करण्यासाठी की मेहनतीने तयार झालेला खेळाडू हा खेळाडू असतो, त्यात कोणताही भेदभाव नको…..
या पुस्तकाला GoodReads वर माझे ३ स्टार रेटिंग :
⭐⭐⭐
November 7, 2012
Oscar Pistorius is without doubt a truely inspiring human being but his autobiography slightly missed the mark for me.
The book details his parents complex decision to amputate his legs above his knee before he was walking age. He talks about his relationships with his siblings,boyish fun he would get up to, his High School days and the path that lead him to athletics.
One thing is for sure, he is focussed and talented and would have made a name for himself in other ways too I think.
A large portion of the book lends itself to the controversary about his prothesus which the IAAF felt gave him unfair advantage if he were to compete in normal able-bodied competitions. The story has a great ending however as we all know, with Oscar representing SA in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics - a real feat!
The book did seal any misconceptions I did have but what it didnt provide me with, was more about his mom and the huge role she played in his life - wished there had been more.
A good read regardless - Oscar is brilliant
The book details his parents complex decision to amputate his legs above his knee before he was walking age. He talks about his relationships with his siblings,boyish fun he would get up to, his High School days and the path that lead him to athletics.
One thing is for sure, he is focussed and talented and would have made a name for himself in other ways too I think.
A large portion of the book lends itself to the controversary about his prothesus which the IAAF felt gave him unfair advantage if he were to compete in normal able-bodied competitions. The story has a great ending however as we all know, with Oscar representing SA in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics - a real feat!
The book did seal any misconceptions I did have but what it didnt provide me with, was more about his mom and the huge role she played in his life - wished there had been more.
A good read regardless - Oscar is brilliant
September 9, 2012
I already thought Oscar Pistorius was exceptional, talented, inspirational and rare. Then I read “Blade Runner”.
Everything
I thought was magnified – his quiet, affable demeanour belies a life of tragedy and struggle and his determination to not only overcome them but to rise above and scrape the best from each heartbreak is truly inspiring.
The story of his life and the challenges that face a professional athlete (“disabled” or not) make for incredible reading. What made it a page-turner was his wonderfully captivating writing style. An exceptionally eloquent young man, his life, his journey and now this book will continue to inspire generations.
5 star adoration. Will read again – no doubt!
The story of his life and the challenges that face a professional athlete (“disabled” or not) make for incredible reading. What made it a page-turner was his wonderfully captivating writing style. An exceptionally eloquent young man, his life, his journey and now this book will continue to inspire generations.
5 star adoration. Will read again – no doubt!
August 24, 2012
I'm a big athletics fan and I've followed Ocsar's races for a number of years, but I realised I knew very little about him. When I saw he had an autobiography out I had to take a look. It was a fascinating read, documenting his parents battle to find the right doctors and course of action to take with his amputation, through his childhood, love of sport and right up to his journey to Beijing and London. I'd urge anyone wanting to know more about him as an athelete to have a read. It's not the longest autobiography, but I think it benefits from that. A great read in the approach to the Paralympic Games, too!
April 8, 2013
I first heard of Oscar Pistorius in a magazine article printed before the Olympics and was intrigued by his story - in particular the difficult decisions made by his parents when he was a toddler, to have his legs amputated. I am impressed by his courage,determination and sense of humour in addition to his fight against the Olympic authorities to prove that his 'blades' gave him no unfair advantages against other competitors. He comes from a close family and it's painfully obvious that he still mourns and misses his mother who died when he was a teenager. The personal letters written to him by his father and brother are included and illustrate the close bond between them.
July 26, 2011
Oscar's account of his life thus far is a very interesting story, his determination to achieve on every possible level is blatently apparent throughout this book; demonstrating that he indeed has true Olympian spirit. The qualities taught to him by his parents,siblings and sports coaches are values that he continues to cherish and uphold admirably. In this book he also seems to need and want to justify his actions and decisions on many levels, including those in his personal life too!
A really fascinating and inspiring read.
A really fascinating and inspiring read.
June 12, 2019
A biography about Oscar Pistorius... Actually this book just touches on happenings in his life. And not alot off humor. Could have done with a bit more photos as well.
The soppy letters in the back also not up to scraths.
The soppy letters in the back also not up to scraths.
July 17, 2010
This autobiography combined my love of running with my amazement of those who do so with major obstacles in the way---in this case, both Oscar's legs were amputated as a baby and he goes on to become of the the world's fastest men. (Definitely the fastest man with no legs!) Inspiring.
August 25, 2012
No literary masterpiece certainly but the content is moving and inspirational just as Oscar himself is. Also a terrific parenting template for those of us with children like his. I so wish this book was available 7 yrs ago when our son was a baby!
October 30, 2012
A great sportsman and a great storyteller, my only criticism is that it is too short but the story is still being written (this version of the book ends after the Beijing Paralympics, so much more has happened to Oscar since then!).
August 20, 2023
كتاب سلس جداً وشخصية ملهمة. استمتعت بالدخول إلى مقاطع اليوتيوب للتفرج على أوسكار بستوريوس يحقق انتصاراته، وكنت أشعر أنها انتصارات للإنسانية وليست شخصية له فقط.
طبعاً الكتاب نُشر عام ٢٠٠٨ وليس فيه شيء عن ما حل بالعدّاء بعدها من أحداث مؤسفة جداً.
طبعاً الكتاب نُشر عام ٢٠٠٨ وليس فيه شيء عن ما حل بالعدّاء بعدها من أحداث مؤسفة جداً.
December 13, 2010
" العداء المعجزة " .. كتاب رائع يحكي عن احلام لا سقف لها ، وعزيمة جبارة لجعلها واقعاً .. أنصحكم بقرائته (;
July 21, 2012
Truly inspiring guy. Excellent athlete breaking the barriers of discrimination against those with disabilities. Wishing him all the best for the olympics
August 3, 2012
This book is gripping!
The writing style is very approachable and relaxed. Family stories and progress through his athletics career are recounted in an engaging manner.
The writing style is very approachable and relaxed. Family stories and progress through his athletics career are recounted in an engaging manner.
August 10, 2012
An inspiring story and helpful account of one person's way of coping with his physical problems.
August 15, 2012
Basic, quick to read, but worthwhile.
August 19, 2012
Fascinating story. Straight forward read.
April 5, 2013
Dissapointing, expected much more...and now he is a killer. So even more destroying and dissapointing!
Read
May 7, 2014A good read although slightly disappointing. I wanted to read more! I wish he would read this for an audiobook I could listen to his voice all day.
August 12, 2012
E-book version...
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