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.
Baseball gives every American boy a chance to excel, not just to be as good as someone else but to be better than someone else. This is the nature of man and the name of the game.
The dumber a pitcher is, the better. When he gets smart and begins to experiment with a lot of different pitches, he's in trouble. All I ever had was a fastball, a curve and a changeup and I did pretty good.
I hope somebody hits .400 soon. Then people can start pestering that guy with questions about the last guy to hit .400.
When you go out on a football field, you are responsible for taking care of yourself. The more rules you get, the less players truly take care of themselves.
Arnold's place in history will be as the man who took golf from being a game for the few to a sport for the masses. He was the catalyst who made that happen.
The best football is always about expression of emotion. Always.
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