Superhumans Take The Field! The Most Inspiring Stories Of The Paralympics
Aug. 30 2012, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
By Debbie Emery - Breaking Celebrity News Reporter
The 2012 London Olympics may be over, but the flame is still burning brightly as the Paralympic Games kick off Thursday, celebrating the athletic achievements of hundreds of physically disabled sports stars.
Scientist Stephen Hawking was center stage at the Olympic Stadium in London Wednesday night to welcome the aspiring medal winners during the opening ceremony, with dozens of disabled performers – including 42 who were sent to circus school to perfect their act – joining able-bodied athletes for an awe-inspiring show.
The Paralympics have grown from a small gathering of British World War II veterans in London in 1948 to a spectacular gathering of 5,000 athletes who will compete for 170 gold medals, watched by excited crowds that will include Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry, home from his controversial and scandal ridden party trip to Las Vegas.
In honor of their strength in the face of diversity, Breaking Celebrity News has compiled seven of the most inspiring stories of the Paralympics.
7. British competitor Dave Bracher planned to take up marathon running three years ago to ward off middle age spread. Before he could begin training he contracted two rare viruses -- Guillain–Barré Syndrome and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis that left him in a "locked-in" state -- meaning for 10 days he could hear what was going on around him but all he could do was blink -- and after a lengthy recovery he was left a paraplegic.
"I didn’t believe the doctors. My attitude was that I was determined to prove them w