When it comes to fresh and exciting street art, one of the best places has to be London. And to celebrate the coming together of the UK capital and the Laureus World Sports Awards, a special wall of graffiti was put together depicting some true legends of the sporting world.
The Laureus Graffiti Wall
Oscar Pistorius is up for two honours at Monday’s Laureus Awards: the Breakthrough of the Year and the Sportsperson with a disability of the Year.
Laureus.com caught up with him in the run-up to the Awards to ask a few questions.
Oscar Pistorius
Question:
You have achieved quite a remarkable double this year by being nominated for two Laureus Awards – the Breakthrough of the Year Award and the Disability Award – what does that mean to you?
Oscar Pistorius
Being nominated for Breakthrough and Athlete with a Disability is extremely important to me. Obviously, it’s pretty humbling, I guess, if you consider that it’s the world’s media that, you know, nominate through the first round so it’s very humbling. I’ve been to the Laureus Awards and seen the scale that it’s been held on several times, and it’s just a completely amazing experience.
Question:
Does it make a difference that the people who are voting, the 47 members of the Academy, have all been there and done it?
Oscar Pistorius
It makes it a lot more meaningful that the 47 Laureus Academy Members are the ones that are choosing the winners. These are all sportsmen that have been probably the greatest in their, in their careers, in their fields of play. It’s always a lot more, for me, the weight that somebody like that carries is a lot more than, than somebody that’s just a critic…….these are icons in their sports and legends and it’s really humbling.
Question:
Could you have ever imagined for an Award you would be up against Yohan Blake, Mo Farah, Petra Kvitova, the Wimbledon Champion, Rory McIlroy, US Open golf champion, Li Na, who won the French Open tennis?
Oscar Pistorius
Yeah, I think if you look at the nature of the sportsmen that I’m competing with in this, in this field, I’m just extremely privileged just to be considered a part of them. I mean, I watched Yohan Blake’s race at the World Champsionships. You know, I’m an avid golf fan, so I’ve watched all the guys playing throughout the year, the guys that
have been nominated. It’s hard to think that my name is up there amongst theirs.
Question:
And good for Paralympic sport that a Paralympic sportsman is in this category with people who are competing in non-Paralympic sport?
Oscar Pistorius
If I look how the difference is between 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing, how the transformation and education surrounding disability to the general public has changed and then from 2008 to now in London, I’m sure it’s going to be even more. London’s probably one of the most international cities in the world and I think the platform that the Paralympics has there to show the world that Paralympic sports is just like any other sport, you know. Yes, it’s inspirational, but it’s hardcore sports, it’s athletes training year in and year out. There’s victories, there’s triumph but there’s also disappointment. I think Paralympic sports have come an extremely long way and I’m excited to see that international people that have never been exposed to Paralympic sports, that have very limited knowledge about people living with disabilities, are going to be able to witness it first hand and I think their perceptions are definitely changing. The Laureus Awards and being nominated in these fields definitely does show that the platform that Paralympic sports is operating on is growing tremendously and it makes me very proud.
Question:
And of course, this Olympic year, the Laureus Awards are being held in London?
Oscar Pistorius
I think hosting the Laureus Awards in London is definitely going to be special. With the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, it’s going to go down in British history for a 100 years and having the Laureus Awards in the same city in the same year is definitely very special. I know whenever I get to London for the last two years, all I think about is 2012 and you’re constantly taking up the smell of the air, the people, that buzz. And being 2012, this is the year that we’re going to be competing and having the Laureus Awards there is extremely special.
Question:
Laureus isn’t just about the Awards, it’s about the Foundation. You’ve recently just come back from a Laureus visit to Tanzania?
Oscar Pistorius
Being a Laureus Ambassador is a great honour. We’ve recently come back from a trip in Tanzania, where we were able to work with a project that’s trying to change developments in sport for 400,000 young kids in the country. Just being able to be part of something like that is extremely touching. It was a bit emotional, if you look at how little the people they have and yet how happy they are when they’re given the, the ability just to practise sports. The conventional sports that they play they use as platforms to teach kids important messages like HIV/AIDS and Malaria. We take for granted a lot of things in our own countries where we’ve had the education from a young age, or the issues aren’t as prominent as they are in Africa and yet, you know, Laureus does a phenomenal job in highlighting these key issues. Kids are very difficult sometimes to get a foot in the door with, you need a platform and there’s no better platform than sport. I think the key messages that they’re delivering to these children are priceless. These are things that can change their lives and also they’re playing sport, show they have a great time, learn the rules of the game and also learn how to be gracious when they win. They learn how to have fun with their friends, respect each other and hard work, but I think, ultimately, the lessons that they learn behind the scenes are far more important. I think the work that Laureus is doing is very priceless.
Question:
Did you have a chance to mix with the kids in Tanzania? What kind of things were they saying to you?
Oscar Pistorius
We got a lot of time to mix with the kids. We got to play some football with them. We played football for a, a girls’ team. I think the girls were aged between 6 and probably about 10 or 12. We also got to play a couple of other games, we played volleyball, we played this other game where you have like these tags that are stuck on you and the kids are quite clever, they fold their belts inside out, so you can’t pull the tags out, and you run in a circle and you have to gather as many tags as possible.
It was just great and amazing to see it because these kids had no idea who I was and then [when] they see my legs…..I was laughing. I said to one ‘you can feel my prosthetic leg, so he was feeling it and before, you know, ten seconds was up, there was probably 20 kids squeezing my legs.’ And the next moment, I had those kids squeezing my arm to check if my arm was real and I was like “Hey, buddy, you know that is real”. Kids are very honest and very untainted by opinion or stereotypes and it’s very special. You go to a country like that, where there is really nothing and yet they’re so grateful for the things they have. Being able to spend time with the kids, we often leave with an experience that has far more meaning to us than anything else so, yeah, definitely, [it was] one of the highlights of my year and it was a very special thing and something I’ll definitely remember for a long time.
Question:
Well sport obviously has given you an awful lot. Is that why you want to connect with these kids and give something back?
Oscar Pistorius
Sport has been unbelievable to me. Never in my wildest dreams, even as teenager, [did I] imagine where I’d be today. And it’s something that I look back at and I’m very fortunate. If you look at African kids in general, there’s so many of them that have these talents, that have passion for sports. To give back a little bit, even if they don’t become professional sportsmen, but they at least enjoy what they’re doing and they find a zest for something, is invaluable. A parent can teach a child to be hardworking, you teach a child to be consistent, you know, sport’s one of these things that just teaches you all of these lessons and many of these kids wouldn’t have had that opportunity if it wasn’t for Laureus. I’ve seen how much sport has done for me. As a kid, I was never great at academics, but [my parents] always allowed me to participate in sport and even if I wasn’t great at the sports, they said it’s not about being the best, but it’s about getting involved and,these are….the kind of lessons that [the kids] take away from it.
Question
Are you a man who has goals? Do you have targets or do you just let the year unfold?
Oscar Pistorius
Yeah, I think, I’m somebody that likes to set goals and targets but I’m also somebody that likes to work for the now. I like to wake up in the morning and know that today is part of a bigger picture, but today is its own day and the training sessions that I’ve got, I need to make of it the best that I possibly can so looking into 2012, you know, I’m excited for the opportunities that lie ahead. The Paralympics is going to be a phenomenal experience, I’ll be running the 100, the 200, the 400 and 4×100 relay for the first time. And then the Olympic Games of which I’ve run one ‘A’ qualification time, but it’s still going to be a couple of months until I run a second ‘A’ qualification time and although I’ve got that target and that goal in mind, there’s a lot that needs to happen.
Question:
After an amazing 2011 with hopefully an amazing 2012 to come, where is Oscar Pistorius now?
Oscar Pistorius
You know, with 2011 being a great season and my best to date, going to 2012 definitely gives me a lot more confidence after last year. I know that I can do the times, that I’m capable of doing, the times I need to do but it makes it a lot more exciting for me, in a sense a lot more nerve-racking. You know, now that I’ve run the times, there’s a lot of pressure that I’ll do it again, which I want to but you constantly have to know that if you don’t work hard, you know, that opportunity can pass, and this is an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime, so yeah, every day you wake up, every time you put a meal or something in your body, you have to think about, is it productive to your sports, is it going to make you quicker or better or recover faster and then every time you train, you get to the training session and you know that you must put in the best work that you possibly can do. So, very excited for this year, coming off the 2011 season and we’ll wait and see what happens. I think the next six months is going to be very interesting.
For those that love sport, there is often no greater hero than their favourite sportsperson.
Whether your sport of choice is football, hockey, tennis or athletics, watching someone achieve incredible, almost superhuman things, not only entertains, but inspires. It leaves us marveling at how the impossible can be made possible right before our eyes…
And this is what is celebrated at the Laureus World Sports Awards every year.
But it isn’t enough to say the Awards celebrates achievement alone. This is because it also celebrates the importance of these sportspeople to those they inspire and how positive their achievements can be to both the lives of others and communities around the world.
And in 2011, many of the Nominees did just that.
Take Nominee for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award Novak Djokovic who has become a true role model in his home country.
Novak Djokovic
Reflecting on the remarkable influence Djokovic has had on his country through his achievements, tennis legend Boris Becker has said: “Novak showed throughout his remarkable 2011 how important his home-country is to him, but it’s also the case that he has come to be important to those of his country too. He’s become a source of energy to the Serbian people and has made sure his victories are considered the victories of all Serbs back home as well.
Meanwhile, the breakthroughs for some particular sportspeople this past year have even helped prove that the hardships people face should never have to deny them their dreams.
This has been demonstrated no better than by Nominee for both Breakthrough and Sportsperson with a Disability of the Year Awards Oscar Pistorius.
Oscar Pistorius
Though born with congenital absence of the fibula, necessitating the amputation of both legs at an early age, Oscar raced at the World Athletics Championships in 2011 and even won a medal for his participation in the South Africa 4×400 relay team.
Speaking of Oscar’s achievements in terms of what it meant for the future of Paralympic athletics, Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus Academy, said: ‘ This opens up a whole new era in track and field.’
And demonstrating how important he and his achievements were to other people with disabilities, legendary Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson said: ‘[This] proves that if you have the talent, ability and passion, you can achieve your goals.’
And what’s also been shown in 2011 has been the restorative and uplifting effect sport can have on a country whose people have been forced to face tragedy and loss.
Following the devastating earthquakes that have recently afflicted the country, for example, hosting the Rugby World Cup proved to be a remarkable source of pride and strength for New Zealand, whose national rugby team have been nominated for Team of the Year.
All Blacks
Speaking on this, Sean Fitzpatrick, the legendary All Blacks hooker, said: ‘Nothing can explain just how important it was to New Zealand to host the Rugby World Cup following the terrible earthquakes that struck the Christchurch area in 2011. It truly helped galvanise the people of the Long White Cloud (New Zealand), giving them something to take real pride in. That the All Blacks actually won, was simply the stuff of dreams.’
This is why celebrating greatness at the Awards reflects the ongoing work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in both spirit and effect.
That’s because both truly do champion how sport can be an inspirational and empowering tool in the journey toward a better future, regardless of whether it is at an awards ceremony in London or a young boy’s favourite football pitch in in his home town.
Let us know how sport has changed your life for the better in the box below or on Twitter @LaureusSport.
Though they are not always household names like those in other categories, nominees for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year are often some of the most exciting athletes in the world.
This year is no different and action sports as diverse as surfing to BMXing are represented in what is a closely run contest.
So, have a look at all six Nominees and be sure to let us know who you think should be crowned the winner.
JAMIE BESTWICK (United Kingdom) BMX
Jamie Bestwick
- Jamie Bestwick’s amazing season started just six months after a terrifying crash that fractured his skull and shattered both eye sockets. Nearly untouchable in the Halfpipe, he has dominated Vert competition for much of the last decade. At the X Games, Bestwick won his fifth straight gold medal and eighth overall in BMX Vert.
PHILIP KÖSTER (Germany) Windsurfing
Philip Koster
- Philip Köster became PWA Wave World Champion in September 2011 at the age of 17. Climbing giant waves and producing colossal jumps, Köster achieved top spot after three wins. With the adrenaline pumping, he wowed the crowds throughout the year with his daredevil performances.
CARISSA MOORE (United States) Surfing
Carissa Moore
- Only 19, Carissa Moore burst onto the women’s competitive surf scene in 2011 with astonishing results. She won the professional tour’s first event, the Roxy Pro on Australia’s Gold Coast, then followed that with two more wins and three seconds to win the World Surfing Championship. In November, she was given a rare invitation to compete with the men at the Van’s Triple Crown.
TRAVIS RICE (United States) Snowboarding
Travis Rice
- Travis Rice has developed into the best all-around snowboarder in the world, equally capable of showing up to win a Slopestyle event in Aspen as he is in pioneering a first descent in the remote Darwin Range on the tip of South America. In 2011, he co-produced and starred in the film The Art of Flight in which he took his staggering aerial tricks, usually reserved for the terrain parks. out into the mountains.
KELLY SLATER (United States) Surfing
Kelly Slater
- At the age of 39, Kelly Slater won a record 11th World Surfing Championship. Slater, who has won three Laureus World Sports Awards in his career, has dominated men’s surfing for two decades. He became the youngest ever world champion in 1992 at the age of 20 and the oldest at 34 in 2006. And now five years later he is still winning world championships.
SHAUN WHITE (United States) Skateboarding/Snowboarding
Shaun White
- The incomparable Shaun White began the year with yet another gold medal at the Winter X Games, in the men’s Superpipe. It was his fourth straight win in Superpipe, a record in any Winter X Games event, and gave him a remarkable total of 11 gold medals in Winter X. In his summer sport, skateboarding, he won X Games gold in Vert. No matter what season, White nails every trick.
The Laureus World Sports Awards are now less than two weeks away. You have already been telling us who you think should be the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year, now its the turn of the year’s best teams to go head-to-head.
2011 was a remarkable year for team sports. Everything from football and rugby world cups to exciting motor racing and basketball campaigns were held over the 12 month period that truly exemplified the best in team sports.
Below you will find all the top achievements from the Nominees for the Laurues World Team of the Year.
Let us know who you think should be recognised as the very best!
All Blacks (New Zealand) Rugby
All Blacks
- The national rugby team of New Zealand ended 24 years of disappointment when they beat France 8-7 in a tense final in Auckland to win the Rugby World Cup for the second time. Their victory helped to lift the spirits of a nation hit by successive tragedies in the Christchurch Earthquake and the Pike River mine disaster.
FC Barcelona (Spain) Football
FC Barcelona
- Not for the first time the Catalan football team ended the year as the one against which all others are compared. In addition to winning the Spanish League in the 2010/11 season, the highlight of another memorable year was the 3-1 victory against Manchester United in the Champions League final at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Dallas Mavericks (USA) Basketball
Dallas Mavericks
- The team won their first ever NBA title, under coach Rick Carlisle, beating favourites Miami Heat, a team featuring superstars LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. Dirk Nowitzki became the first European-born player to receive the Most Valuable Player Award in the NBA Finals, as the Mavericks beat Miami 4-2 in the best-of-seven series.
England Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
- Became No 1 in the world after a spectacular 4-0 series win against former top team India during the summer. Under captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower, England’s rise to the top has been relentless. Batsman Jonathan Trott was named Cricketer of the Year and Alastair Cook Test Cricketer of the Year at the annual International Cricket Council Awards.
Red Bull (Austria) Motor Racing
The Red Bull team
- Won the Formula One World Constructors Championship for the second straight year in 2011. They also won the individual drivers’ title through Sebastian Vettel. Their second driver Mark Webber finished third. Although the team is based in the United Kingdom, it is registered in Austria and is the first Austrian team to win the title.
Japan Women’s Football Team
Japan Women's Football Team
- The Japan team stunned defending champions Germany with a 1-0 victory in the quarter-finals and beat the United States in a penalty shootout in the final. Coach Norio Sasaki had motivated his team by showing them film of the areas devastated by March’s earthquake and subsequent tsunami which inspired them to produce extraordinary results.
