Most famous disabled athletes

1. George Eyser

Despite losing his left leg in a childhood train accident, German-born American George Eyser joined a prestigious gymnastics club that competed at the 1904 Olympics in his hometown of St. Louis.

(At that time, Olympians represented their clubs, not their countries.) Outfitted with a wooden prosthetic, Eyser performed poorly in the first set of events. But he bounced back to win an astounding six medals on a single day, including three golds in rope climbing, parallel bars and vault.

A bookkeeper by trade, he would continue performing at high-level gymnastics competitions until at least 1909.

Paralympic athletes disabilities

2. Carlo Orlandi

Italian boxer Carlo Orlandi set a precedent for deaf Olympians at the 1928 Amsterdam games, winning four straight fights to take home gold in the lightweight division. Turning professional soon after, he would compile nearly 100 victories over the course of a 15-year career.

3. Oliver Halassy

Following a childhood streetcar accident reminiscent of Eyser’s,