In sports, I refused to do any interviews that were just going to become human-interest stories. Don't turn me into a tragic heroine.
Interpretation
Aimee Mullins emphasizes the importance of authenticity and rejecting oversimplified narratives in media.
Aimee Mullins expresses her discontent with media portrayals that focus on her as a 'tragic heroine', indicating her desire to be seen as an athlete and a person rather than the subject of sentimental stories. She advocates for a more genuine representation that goes beyond superficial narratives, highlighting the complexity of her identity and experiences.
In practice
This quote could be used in a motivational speech at a sports event emphasizing individuality over stereotype.
I'm not an advocate for disability issues. Human issues are what interest me. You can't possibly speak for a diverse group of people. I don't know what it's like to be an arm amputee, or have even one flesh-and-bone leg, or to have cerebral palsy.
I've had journalists asking me, 'What do we call you - is it handicapped, are you disabled, physically challenged?' I said, 'Well hopefully you could just call me Aimee. But if you have to describe it, I'm a bilateral below-the-knee amputee.'
An athlete experiences the emotions of pain and elation through triumph and defeat, through teamwork and individuality, as nothing more than a human being...that is the true glory of sport.
I think that everyone has something about themselves that they feel is their weakness... their 'disability.' And I'm certain we all have one, because I think of a disability as being anything which undermines our belief and confidence in our own abilities.
I have learned not to overlook the advantages of being me. From when I was a softball player, and I held the stolen bases record. I would slide into second with my prostheses, and the girl on the base could either step aside or meet two wooden sticks.
I'm not an advocate for disability issues. Human issues are what interest me.
You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get. One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career.
Brazil eats, sleeps and drinks football. It lives football!
In football, the only game I know is the 90-minutes game. It's not mind games; I don't try to do that.
Almost all of us growing up have played baseball on some level. It has an inside track with people. It has a unifying effect.
If you win through bad sportsmanship that's no real victory.
It was a breaking period for black people coming into baseball, and how many followed depended on Jackie's conduct. But that's not the case now. What and how I do doesn't mean nearly as much as what and how Jackie did.
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