Olympian inspires double amputee in Richmond | News

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- One of the great stories at the London 2012 Olympics is Oscar Pistorius. He is the first double-amputee athlete to qualify for the Summer Olympics, running on a pair of prosthetics designed specifically for sprinting.

Over the weekend, he made history competing in the 400 meter dash. Although Pistorius didn't reach the finals, his dream of running in London is already inspiring the dreams of others, including one remarkable double amputee in Richmond.

Donna Robertson lost her legs and portions of her hands following a reaction to a bad infection in 2009. She said learning how to walk with prosthetic legs isn't easy, but watching Oscar Pistorius take racing to a whole new level lifts her spirits.

"I just can't say enough about Oscar, and I'm sure everybody is speechless about what he has accomplished," said Robertson.

Sheltering Arms Physical Therapist, Amy Crawford, helped Robertson recover in 2009. Crawford said Robertson's attitude helped catapult her to a recovery.

"She was very positive," said Crawford. "I never heard anything negative out of her at all. She would come everyday willing to work harder than anyone."

Unlike the Olympian who grew up with prosthetics, Robertson had to learn from scratch the balance, and strength of walking. The former elementary school music teacher said Oscar's drive has helped keep her on "track".

"I told my husband last night that I need to push myself harder after I saw him," Robertson added.

She hopes to strengthen her good leg - which is her left leg - and eventually walk without her cane.

"I didn't do it because I was trying to impress anybody," Robertson noted. "I did it because it was something I had to do."

That's similar to the blade runner, who said he delights in nothing more than fans like Robertson. She's inspired more by his ability than his disability.

"I couldn't have done it on my own," Robertson said. "It's the people at Sheltering Arms who let me lead the life I want to live now, and it makes me want to cry."

Robertson is still going through physical therapy to gain her strength. Right now, she has her eyes set on watching Oscar Pistorius compete in the 4x400m relay.

Copyright 2012 WWBT NBC12.  All rights reserved.