These are the athletes to pay special attention to during the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Holley Mangold
Weightlifting | USA
The former football player is ready to take London by storm this summer. After dropping out of college in 2010, she moved in with her coach and steadily improved her lifts, which was documented last year on MTV's True Life: I'm The Big Girl. And her take on her physical appearance? “I don’t want to be small,” she told the New York Times. “That would be awful. Nobody remembers the skinny girl’s name."
Via: nytimes.com
Oscar Pistorius
Track & Field (Sprinting) | South Africa
Oscar is something of a god among men. The double-amputee is the fastest man on no legs and this year the Paralympics champion is attempting to qualify for the able-bodied races for the London games. While he missed the mark in a Belgium race, he still has two more chances to represent South Africa: one more race to run the qualifying time or be selected for the 4x400 relay team.
Image by BRENDAN MCDERMID / Reuters
Lolo Jones
Track & Field (Hurdles) | USA
Lolo recently clenched her spot on the Olympics team when she placed third in the 100-meter hurdles. However, it's her Twitter account where she talks about remaining a virgin that has won people over. Only time will tell if she'll land a date with Tim Tebow.
Image by Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Bryshon Nellum
Track & Field (Sprinting) | USA
In 2008, tragedy struck when Bryshon was shot in both legs by gang members. While the gun wounds were not life-threatening, doctors told him he would never return to world-class running speeds he trained so long for. However, nearly 4 years later, the runner secured a spot on the 2012 Olympic team when he finished third in the 400 meters.
Image by LUCY NICHOLSON / Reuters
