Chapter 376: Equivalent Respect
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Philip was not a world class sports star, and as such, no one would spend millions or billions to endorse him. For Philip, the two to three thousand dollars worth of sponsorship provided by charities was already a pretty good income.
Regarding endorsements, it was impossible for Philip to achieve a high net worth, because the number of endorsements an athlete had was directly related to their reputation. In this aspect, para-athletes were disadvantaged since mainstream media rarely paid any attention to things or events related to para-athletes. If the insurance company did not happen to launch a disability accident insurance product, Philip might not have had the chance to become the advertising endorser for that product.
Although the sponsorship and endorsement deals hadn't amounted to much, Philip's quality of life had still improved significantly. Previously, he had to work as a part-timer for four to five hours a day just so he could receive a check from the government. Now, he no longer had to continue working part-time because the sponsorship he received from various charities, paired with the disability allowance for military servicemen, was enough to cover his daily expenses. He could now stay and train in Dai Li's training center the entire day.
Philip's success was an example, encouraging and urging the other 11 para-athletes who were receiving free training from Dai Li. Unfortunately, they did not have the kind of talent Philip possessed, and even if they put in a lot of effort, it would be challenging for them to reach Philip's level.
...
In the dressing room of the training center, Philip took off his prosthesis with a look of relief.
He supported and rubbed the part where his calves and his prosthesis touched, and the initially grim expression on his face gradually subsided.
"Come. Let me!" Dai Li appeared from the side and began massaging Philip.
The part where his calves and prostheses met had become swollen again, and faint scars from recovered wounds that were caused by wearing prostheses could still be seen on his skin.
No matter how good a prosthesis, in the end, it still wasn't a person's real leg. It was impossible to say that walking with a prosthesis was like walking with a real leg. Walking with a prosthesis was undoubtedly more exhausting. It didn't matter if the Flex-Foot Cheetah was the most high-tech sports prosthesis in the world that used the most advanced carbon fiber technology, or if the prosthesis was designed to be ergonomic and only weigh eight pounds; it was still incredibly uncomfortable to wear.
To ensure that the prosthesis didn't fall off during his sprint, Philip had to fix it tightly to his limbs. Carbon fiber is a tough and durable material, and the Flex-Foot Cheetah was comprised of 80 layers of carbon fiber. It was much more durable than steel and one didn't need to worry that the prosthesis would break. However, attaching such a thing to a person's body would naturally cause harm to it.
Muscles that were tightly clamped by the prosthesis would become swollen and bruised as if someone had punched them. The part where the prosthesis touched the skin would chafe, bleed, and become wounded before finally forming scars, after which, the process would start all over again.
Philip had to endure that process daily. Compared to Philip, an able-bodied person only had to work hard in their training, whereas he also had to go through excruciating bodily pain.
"Barron, I really admire you. Track and field training has always been boring. To athletes, the neverending repetitive training routines are already mentally exhausting, but for you, apart from the mental stress, you also have to endure physical pain. If it was just any other man, I doubt they would be able to stick to it, " Dai Li said.
"Compared to losing both legs, this much pain is nothing," Philip said with a sigh. "However, I still haven't got what I wanted"
Dai Li paused his movement and said, "In your class, you are already the fastest in the world. You've already broken the world record for the 100m, 200m, and 400m sprint. Also, your nickname, the 'Blade Warrior' sounds very cool. It really suits your Flex-Foot Cheetah prosthesis."
"That only means that I've achieved results." Philip shook his head. "Though I've been winning races continually, I still don't feel happy."
"Why? Why aren't you happy when you are winning races? Are you too tired? If that's the case, we can lower your training intensity." Dai Li paused to think before speaking again. "You have an absolute advantage over your opponents since your current level is far beyond them. In the 100m sprint, you would be 0.5 seconds faster than your opponents; in the 200m sprint, you would be faster than them by approximately 1 second."
"It's not fatigue," said Philip. He shook his head and sighed before saying, "A few days ago during the race in Houston, a lot of people came and had their photos taken with me. They would say things like 'Keep it up, Blade Warrior.' Everyone who approached me encouraged me, but that's not what I want."
"I'm not sure I quite get what you mean. I think that it's nice that people are encouraging you," Dai Li said.
"I also know that it's a good thing. It's their way of showing that they care about me. But somehow I can feel it; the expression in their eyes when they see me and the tone they use when they talk to me, it's filled with pity and sympathy!" Philip's expression suddenly became serious. "But I don't need their pity or sympathy. What I want is respect! I want to live with dignity!"
As Philip said that, his emotion started to broil. He continued and said, "I am not trying to become someone amazing. I don't even think that what I do can motivate others. The reason I became an athlete was that I hoped to make my life more meaningful. I don't want to be treated as someone who needs to be protected, or put in another way, I don't want any special treatment. Even when these special treatments are considered a privilege, they still make me.uncomfortable. "
"I understand," Dai Li said as he frowned and began to think. He then continued in an enlightened manner, "But you can't avoid them. People will always treat you differently because you are handicapped. People will always regard disabled people as weak and show them sympathy. It is a normal way of thinking. However, this does not mean that they don't respect you."
"What I want is equal respect!" Philip said with strength.
Dai Li stopped massaging Philip's calves and looked at him with a little surprise.
Philip, however, calmed himself and continued, "When I first came back from Iraq, I didn't get a prosthesis immediately. I actually used a wheelchair for some time. During that time, I used all kinds of accessibility facilities, and I also enjoyed all types of special treatment. Whenever I crossed the road, people would voluntarily come and help me; when I took the bus, a space would be left especially for wheelchair use… I am very grateful for their help, but their help also brought me a kind of unease. They made me feel like I'm not a normal person, and that without their help, I wouldn't be able to live a normal life."
"So you decided to start training to use a prosthesis?" Dai Li asked.
Philip nodded and said, "That's right, I want to live a normal life. I wish that people would treat me like I was a normal person, not like they would normally treat a disabled person. That's why I trained so hard. At first, I left the wheelchair and was able to walk with the help of a crutch; later, I bid farewell to the crutch as well and was able to walk independently. After that, I could walk like a normal person, and I could even run. Since that day, I've never used any accessibility facilities again. I haven't even used any disabled parking spaces!"
"I think that I've got a rough idea what you mean." Dai Li nodded with a tinge of regret. A bold idea suddenly emerged in his mind.
"You want everyone to view you as an able-bodied person. Have you ever thought about taking part in a conventional track and field race? To compete against normal, able-bodied athletes?"
"That's impossible! I can't possibly beat them!" Philip shook his head. He felt that Dai Li's idea was too far-fetched.
"Why do you think that you cannot beat them?" Dai Li immediately followed up with a question.
"Of course it's because I have no legs!" Philip stared at Dai Li intensely.
"Do you really mind it that much?" Dai Li smiled, then he continued speaking in a rhetorical manner. "You really mind. You've said it yourself; you want to live a normal life, you want people to treat you like a normal person, and you've also put in the effort to have that realized. The you can now walk and run like a normal person, but deep down, have you ever treated yourself as a normal person?"
Dai Li stopped and shook his head before continuing to answer his own question. "The answer is no. When I suggested that you take part in a conventional race, the first thing on your mind was that you had no legs, so you couldn't compete against them. Why wasn't it 'I should give it a try'? Because deep down in your heart, even you do not treat yourself as a healthy and normal person! How could you ask others to treat you in a way that you don't even treat yourself? If you want people to recognize you, the first thing to do is to recognize yourself!"
Dai Li's words were like needles piercing through Philip's heart. Philip's face suddenly became blank. Following that, his expression slowly became reflective.
After a while, Philip let out a long sigh. "Coach Li, you are right. I haven't even recognized myself, how could I expect others to recognize me! I have never been able to look at myself properly, and you could even say that I intentionally covered my eyes. I'm so stupid!"
"So do you want to give it a go?" Dai Li spoke as he started moving his hands to massage Philip's legs again.
"Try? Try what?" Philip asked, a little confused with what was asked.
"Try out what I mentioned just now. Go and take part in a conventional race and compete against able-bodied people!" Dai Li continued looking down, maintaining his focus on his hand movement for the massage.
Philip's gaze showed that he was struggling, as if he had no idea how he should decide.
Dai Li, on the other hand, looked up and stared at Philip. With a serious expression on his face, Dai Li said, "You've left the wheelchair behind. You've bid farewell to the crutches. You can even walk and run like a normal person. You did all these things because you wanted to be like a normal person. Or you could say that you have been learning to become a normal person. And now, it's time you said goodbye to the lessons. You should give it a go. You should try to truly become a normal person!"