Oscar was born without fibula. In order to reduce harm and improve his chance of mobility in later life, his legs were cut off below the knee when he was only 11 months old. Six months later he received his first pair of prosthetic legs and within days he had mastered them.
Oscar quickly became very mobile. Supported and encouraged by his family, Oscar lived an active life which led to him becoming a keen sportsman during his school years. He was a great rugby player in secondary school. He also played tennis and boxing.
Later Oscar took up running as his main focus. In June 2004, he was given his first pair of “blades.” Eight months after first stepping onto the track, he surprised the athletics world by winning the 200m gold medal at the Athens Paralympics, breaking the world record with a time of 21.97s.