SS: Aimee and I thought we'd just talk a little bit,

雀麗爾：剛剛艾美和我稍微聊了一下，

and I wanted her to tell all of you what makes her a distinctive athlete.

我想請她跟在座各位分享，究竟是什麼原因讓她成為如此傑出的運動員。

AM: Well, for those of you who have seen the picture in the little bio --

艾美：嗯，在座看過我簡歷上照片的來賓，

it might have given it away --

應該就會知道。

I'm a double amputee, and I was born without fibulas in both legs.

我雙腿截肢，出生時兩腿就沒有腓骨。

I was amputated at age one,

一歲的時候我動了截肢手術，

and I've been running like hell ever since, all over the place.

從此之後我只能辛苦的到處走動。

SS: Well, why don't you tell them how you got to Georgetown -- why don't we start there?

雀麗爾：嗯，妳要不要跟大家談談，比方說，妳是怎麼進到喬治城大學的？

Why don't we start there?

我們要不要從那裡開始談起？

AM: I'm a senior in Georgetown in the Foreign Service program.

艾美：我是喬治城大學四年級的學生，主修對外事務。

I won a full academic scholarship out of high school.

我拿的是提供給應屆畢業高中生的全額獎學金。

They pick three students out of the nation every year

喬治城大學每年會從全國挑選三名學生

to get involved in international affairs,

去參與國際事務的處理，

and so I won a full ride to Georgetown

我也因此獲得進入喬治城大學的機會，

and I've been there for four years. Love it.

我在那裡待了四年。非常喜愛那個地方。

SS: When Aimee got there,

雀麗爾：艾美到那邊的時候，

she decided that she's, kind of, curious about track and field,

她覺得自己對於田徑活動感到有些好奇，

so she decided to call someone and start asking about it.

所以她決定打電話詢問相關的事情。

So, why don't you tell that story?

妳要不要跟我們談談這個經過呢？

AM: Yeah. Well, I guess I've always been involved in sports.

艾美：好啊。嗯，我想我一直都還蠻熱衷於體育活動。

I played softball for five years growing up.

小時候我打了五年壘球。

I skied competitively throughout high school,

高中時代也是滑雪競賽的好手，

and I got a little restless in college

進大學之後我變得有點坐不住的感覺，

because I wasn't doing anything for about a year or two sports-wise.

因為差不多有一到兩年的時間，我都沒有從事任何運動。

And I'd never competed on a disabled level, you know --

而且我也從來沒有參加殘障運動競賽。

I'd always competed against other able-bodied athletes.

我一直都是跟肢體健全的運動選手比賽。

That's all I'd ever known.

那就是我一直以來的經驗。

In fact, I'd never even met another amputee until I was 17.

事實上，我一直到17歲時才認識另外一位截肢者。

And I heard that they do these track meets with all disabled runners,

我聽說他們有舉辦那種給全都是殘障跑者參加的比賽，

and I figured, "Oh, I don't know about this,

我才發現，噢，我都不知道有這種活動，

but before I judge it, let me go see what it's all about."

但在我對這些活動下判斷前，我想先去看個究竟。

So, I booked myself a flight to Boston in '95, 19 years old

所以，我訂了張到波士頓的機票，那是1995年的事情，我當時19歲，

and definitely the dark horse candidate at this race. I'd never done it before.

當然也成了比賽場上的黑馬。我從沒做過這樣的事情。

I went out on a gravel track a couple of weeks before this meet

在比賽的兩個禮拜前，我到一條砂石賽道上

to see how far I could run,

想試試看自己能夠跑多遠，

and about 50 meters was enough for me, panting and heaving.

我跑到氣喘吁吁，50米就差不多是我的極限了。

And I had these legs that were made of

我當時裝的義肢是由，像是，

a wood and plastic compound, attached with Velcro straps --

木頭和塑膠材質合成，再用Velcro魔鬼沾綁帶固定，

big, thick, five-ply wool socks on --

又大又厚，再穿上五層羊毛襪，

you know, not the most comfortable things, but all I'd ever known.

你知道，談不上舒適，不過當時我就只有這些裝備。

And I'm up there in Boston against people

我就這樣到波士頓上場參加比賽，

wearing legs made of all things -- carbon graphite

對手都戴著碳纖維做成的義肢，

and, you know, shock absorbers in them and all sorts of things --

裡面還有避震器之類的東西，

and they're all looking at me like,

所有的人都衝著我瞧，好像在說：

OK, we know who's not going to win this race.

「好啦，這下我們都知道誰不可能會贏啦！」似的。

And, I mean, I went up there expecting --

我是說，我到那裡去，心中懷著期待，

I don't know what I was expecting --

我也不知道自己在期待什麼，

but, you know, when I saw a man who was missing an entire leg

但是，當我看見一位失去整條腿的男選手

go up to the high jump, hop on one leg to the high jump

上場參加跳高比賽，用單腿去奮力跳高

and clear it at six feet, two inches ...

並且一舉跳過6英尺2英吋......

Dan O'Brien jumped 5'11" in '96 in Atlanta,

丹．歐布萊恩在1996年亞特蘭大奧運會的成績是5英尺11英吋，

I mean, if it just gives you a comparison of --

我的意思是，假如這個例子可以讓你有一個對照的話，

these are truly accomplished athletes,

這些人都是，你知道的，貨真價實的優秀運動員，

without qualifying that word "athlete."

即使他們看起來並不具備成為"運動員"該有的條件。

And so I decided to give this a shot: heart pounding,

所以我決定要嘗試一下，你知道，我緊張得心臟怦怦跳，

I ran my first race and I beat the national record-holder

我參加了第一場比賽，並且以百分之三秒之差

by three hundredths of a second,

打敗了全國紀錄保持人，

and became the new national record-holder on my first try out.

在第一場預賽我就成爲全國紀錄保持人了。

And, you know, people said,

然後，人們跟我說，

"Aimee, you know, you've got speed -- you've got natural speed --

「艾美，妳是知道的，妳速度很快，妳有天生的速度感，

but you don't have any skill or finesse going down that track.

可是妳對賽跑的技巧和策略卻一無所知。

You were all over the place.

妳只知道用盡全力去跑。

We all saw how hard you were working."

我們都看到妳有多麼努力。」

And so I decided to call the track coach at Georgetown.

於是我決定打電話請教喬治城大學的田徑教練。

And I thank god I didn't know just how huge this man is in the track and field world.

謝天謝地，當時我完全不知道他在田徑界是多麼重量級的人物。

He's coached five Olympians, and

他訓練過五名奧運選手，你知道嗎，

the man's office is lined from floor to ceiling

這個人的辦公室從地板到天花板

with All America certificates

貼滿了全美國接受過他訓練的運動員

of all these athletes he's coached.

的表揚證書，

He's just a rather intimidating figure.

他就是這樣一個讓人敬畏的人物。

And I called him up and said, "Listen, I ran one race and I won ..."

我打去對他說：「聽著，我參加了一次比賽而且跑贏了，然後......

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

"I want to see if I can, you know --

我想知道我是不是能，你知道的，

I need to just see if I can sit in on some of your practices,

我想知道我是不是能去旁聽你們的練習，

see what drills you do and whatever."

看看你們都在做些什麼訓練。」

That's all I wanted -- just two practices.

那就是我想要的，就是去旁聽兩場練習。

"Can I just sit in and see what you do?"

我能不能去旁聽，看看你們都在做什麼呢？

And he said, "Well, we should meet first, before we decide anything."

他回答說：「這樣啊，不過在做任何決定之前，我們應該先碰個面吧。」

You know, he's thinking, "What am I getting myself into?"

當時他一定在想：「現在這是什麼狀況啊？」

So, I met the man, walked in his office,

所以，我就去見了他，走進他的辦公室，

and saw these posters and magazine covers of people he has coached.

也看到那些印著他訓練過的選手們的海報和雜誌封面。

And we got to talking,

然後我們坐下來開始聊，

and it turned out to be a great partnership

後來我們建立了非常棒的合作關係，

because he'd never coached a disabled athlete,

因為他從來沒有帶過任何殘障運動員，

so therefore he had no preconceived notions

所以他對於我的能力和限制

of what I was or wasn't capable of,

沒有任何先入為主的想法。

and I'd never been coached before.

而我從來沒有接受過任何指導，

So this was like, "Here we go -- let's start on this trip."

所以那感覺，就像，走吧，咱們就開始走這趟旅程吧。

So he started giving me four days a week of his lunch break,

他開始每週四天，利用他的午休時間指導我，

his free time, and I would come up to the track and train with him.

那是他的空閒時間，我會到田徑場去跟他一起做訓練。

So that's how I met Frank.

這就是我跟法蘭克認識的經過。

That was fall of '95. But then, by the time that winter was rolling around,

不過那是1995年秋天的事情，然後，到了冬天的時候，

he said, "You know, you're good enough.

他說：「妳知道嗎？妳很不錯。

You can run on our women's track team here."

妳可以加入我們的女子田徑隊。」

And I said, "No, come on."

我說：「不會吧，別鬧了。」

And he said, "No, no, really. You can.

他說：「不，不，真的，妳行的。

You can run with our women's track team."

妳可以跟女子田徑校隊一起跑。」

In the spring of 1996, with my goal of making the U.S. Paralympic team

於是在1996年春季，我以進入殘障奧運代表隊爲目標，

that May coming up full speed, I joined the women's track team.

在差不多快五月的時候，加入了女子田徑隊。

And no disabled person had ever done that -- run at a collegiate level.

從來沒有任何殘障人士做過這種事，參加大專級的賽跑活動。

So I don't know, it started to become an interesting mix.

所以，我也不曉得，整件事情就開始變成一個有趣的組合了。

SS: Well, on your way to the Olympics,

雀麗爾：嗯，那你要不要跟大家談談，比方說，妳的奧林匹克之路，

a couple of memorable events happened at Georgetown.

在喬治城發生了一些值得紀念的事情不是嗎？

Why don't you just tell them?

妳要不要跟大家說說看？

AM: Yes, well, you know, I'd won everything as far as the disabled meets --

艾美：好的，嗯，你也知道，在我參加的殘障運動會裡

everything I competed in -- and, you know, training in Georgetown

我一直都是勝利者；然而，在喬治城受訓的時候

and knowing that I was going to have to get used to

我認知到自己必須開始去習慣

seeing the backs of all these women's shirts --

在後頭看著其他女選手的背影，

you know, I'm running against the next Flo-Jo --

你知道的，我是在跟下一個葛瑞菲斯一起練跑耶，

and they're all looking at me like,

她們全都看著我，像在說，

"Hmm, what's, you know, what's going on here?"

唔，這是......這是發生了啥事啊？

And putting on my Georgetown uniform

而且，你也曉得，我穿上喬治城大學田徑隊的制服

and going out there and knowing that, you know,

到田徑練習場去，心裡很清楚這麼做

in order to become better -- and I'm already the best in the country --

是為了讓自己更進步；而我已經是全美國最佳的選手了；

you know, you have to train with people who are inherently better than you.

只不過，現在我必須跟那些天生就比我具優勢的選手們一起做訓練。

And I went out there and made it to the Big East,

我就這樣一路闖進了大東部聯盟，

which was sort of the championship race at the end of the season.

那有點類似，季後冠軍賽，

It was really, really hot.

當時非常，非常熱。

And it's the first --

這是第一次，

I had just gotten these new sprinting legs that you see in that bio,

我裝上你們在我簡歷裡看到的那些短跑腿，

and I didn't realize at that time that

當時我還沒意識到，

the amount of sweating I would be doing in the sock --

奔跑的時候居然會流出麼多汗，

it actually acted like a lubricant

那些汗就跟潤滑劑一樣

and I'd be, kind of, pistoning in the socket.

而我的狀況簡直就像是插槽裡的活塞似的。

And at about 85 meters of my 100 meters sprint, in all my glory,

然後在百米短跑的85米處，就在我全力以赴的時候，

I came out of my leg.

我的腿掉了。

Like, I almost came out of it, in front of, like, 5,000 people.

當著大約5,000名觀眾面前，它就這麼掉下來了。

And I, I mean, was just mortified --

我簡直是，糗斃了，而且，

because I was signed up for the 200, you know, which went off in a half hour.

我還報名了200米短跑，半小時之內就要開始比賽了。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I went to my coach: "Please, don't make me do this."

我走到教練面前，我......「拜託，別再逼我跑了。」

I can't do this in front of all those people. My legs will come off.

我沒辦法在這些觀眾面前跑，我的腿會掉下來。

And if it came off at 85 there's no way I'm going 200 meters.

如果它在85米的地方就掉下來，那我絕對不可能跑完200米啊。

And he just sat there like this.

而他就這樣子坐在那裡。

My pleas fell on deaf ears, thank god.

對我的請求完全充耳不聞，真的是謝天謝地，

Because you know, the man is from Brooklyn;

因為他就像是，你知道的，這男人是從布魯克林來的，

he's a big man. He says, "Aimee, so what if your leg falls off?

他是大塊頭，他對我說：「艾美，就算妳的腿掉下來了又怎樣？

You pick it up, you put the damn thing back on,

妳就把它給我撿起來，裝回去，

and finish the goddamn race!"

然後把這場該死的比賽給我跑完！」

(Laughter) (Applause)

（掌聲）

And I did. So, he kept me in line.

我照做了，所以，從某種角度上來說，是他把我留在這個領域裡的。

He kept me on the right track.

他讓我保持在正確的軌道上不至於偏離。

SS: So, then Aimee makes it to the 1996 Paralympics,

雀麗爾：接著艾美參加了1996年殘障奧運，

and she's all excited. Her family's coming down -- it's a big deal.

她興奮極了。而且全家人都來參觀比賽，這可是件大事呢。

It's now two years that you've been running?

她已經......妳已經跑了兩年了是嗎？

AM: No, a year.

艾美：不，一年而已。

SS: A year. And why don't you tell them what happened

雀麗爾：一年。那要不要跟大家談談

right before you go run your race?

在妳比賽之前發生了什麼事情？

AM: Okay, well, Atlanta.

艾美：好的，嗯，亞特蘭大。

The Paralympics, just for a little bit of clarification,

殘障奧運，先簡單的說明一下，

are the Olympics for people with physical disabilities --

這是為肢體殘障的人士所舉辦的奧林匹克運動會；

amputees, persons with cerebral palsy, and wheelchair athletes --

是為那些截肢、腦性痲痹、和坐輪椅的運動員所舉辦的；

as opposed to the Special Olympics,

有別於為智能障礙者

which deals with people with mental disabilities.

所舉辦的特殊奧運。

So, here we are, a week after the Olympics and down at Atlanta,

所以，我們在奧運會結束一個禮拜後抵達了亞特蘭大，

and I'm just blown away by the fact that

我才驚訝的意識到，你知道的，

just a year ago, I got out on a gravel track and couldn't run 50 meters.

不過就是一年之前，我在砂土賽道上還跑不過五十米。

And so, here I am -- never lost.

而現在，我站在這裡，一場比賽都沒輸過。

I set new records at the U.S. Nationals -- the Olympic trials -- that May,

那年五月，我在奧運選拔賽上，創新了全美國紀錄，

and was sure that I was coming home with the gold.

而且就，你知道的，信心滿滿，非常篤定自己會帶著奧運金牌回家。

I was also the only, what they call "bilateral BK" -- below the knee.

我也是唯一一個，他們稱為，膝下雙腿截肢的選手。

I was the only woman who would be doing the long jump.

我還是唯一一個報名參加跳遠比賽的女選手。

I had just done the long jump,

我才剛跳完，

and a guy who was missing two legs came up to me and says,

一個沒有雙腿的男選手就跑過來問我：

"How do you do that? You know, we're supposed to have a planar foot,

「妳是怎麼辦到的啊？妳曉得嗎？我們應該都是平足，

so we can't get off on the springboard."

所以我們沒辦法從跳板上跳出去的啊。」

I said, "Well, I just did it. No one told me that."

我說：「哦，可是我剛剛就跳出去耶。沒有人跟我說過這種事啊。」

So, it's funny -- I'm three inches within the world record --

好玩的是，我的成績離世界紀錄還不到三英吋，

and kept on from that point, you know,

從那時候起我都持續參加跳遠比賽，

so I'm signed up in the long jump -- signed up?

所以我報名了跳遠......報名？

No, I made it for the long jump and the 100-meter.

不，我入選了跳遠跟百米短跑。

And I'm sure of it, you know?

我很勢在必得，你知道嗎。

I made the front page of my hometown paper

我上了家鄉報紙的頭版，

that I delivered for six years, you know?

以前我還幫那家報社送過六年報紙呢！

It was, like, this is my time for shine.

那就像是，我發光發熱的時刻來臨了。

And we're at the trainee warm-up track,

那時我們位在熱身體育館，培訓熱身跑道，

which is a few blocks away from the Olympic stadium.

距離奧運會場只有幾個街區。

These legs that I was on, which I'll take out right now --

我現在拿出來的這些，就是我當時裝的義肢。

I was the first person in the world on these legs.

我是世界上第一個裝這種義肢的人，

I was the guinea pig., I'm telling you,

我是實驗的白老鼠。而且跟你說，

this was, like -- talk about a tourist attraction.

感覺就像是，在介紹旅遊景點一樣。

Everyone was taking pictures -- "What is this girl running on?"

所有的攝影機都對著我：「這個女孩是穿什麼東西參加賽跑啊？」

And I'm always looking around, like, where is my competition?

而我一直東張西望，想知道我的對手都到哪去了？

It's my first international meet.

這是我參加的第一個國際性比賽。

I tried to get it out of anybody I could,

我想盡全力超越所有人，

you know, "Who am I running against here?"

你知道我的競爭對手都是些什麼樣的人嗎？

"Oh, Aimee, we'll have to get back to you on that one."

「噢，艾美，我們待會再來聊這件事。」

I wanted to find out times.

我想知道對手之前的成績。

"Don't worry, you're doing great."

「別擔心，妳知道的，妳表現得很棒。」

This is 20 minutes before my race in the Olympic stadium,

距離比賽開始前20分鐘，在奧運會場

and they post the heat sheets. And I go over and look.

他們公佈了參賽者入選的成績。於是我走過去看。

And my fastest time, which was the world record, was 15.77.

我最好的成績，也是當時的世界紀錄，是15.77秒。

Then I'm looking: the next lane, lane two, is 12.8.

然後我看了下一行，第二行，是12.8秒。

Lane three is 12.5. Lane four is 12.2. I said, "What's going on?"

第三行是12.5秒。第四行是12.2秒。我心想：「這究竟是怎麼一回事啊？」

And they shove us all into the shuttle bus,

接著他們就把我們這些運動員都推上巴士去，

and all the women there are missing a hand.

而車上所有的女選手都少了一隻手。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So, I'm just, like --

所以，我就......像是......

they're all looking at me like 'which one of these is not like the other,' you know?

她們全盯著我看，像是在說這傢伙非我族類，你知道嗎？

I'm sitting there, like, "Oh, my god. Oh, my god."

我就坐在那邊，心想：「噢，天啊！天啊！」

You know, I'd never lost anything,

你是知道的，我比賽從沒輸過，

like, whether it would be the scholarship or, you know,

好比說，不論是獎學金，或，你知道的，

I'd won five golds when I skied. In everything, I came in first.

我贏過五面滑雪金牌。所有的比賽，我都是第一名。

And Georgetown -- that was great.

然後在喬治城，那也是很棒的經驗。

I was losing, but it was the best training because this was Atlanta.

雖然我輸了，不過那是最好的訓練，因為那是為參加亞特蘭大奧運所作的準備。

Here we are, like, crème de la crème,

不過現在，聚在這裡的全都是精英中的精英，

and there is no doubt about it, that I'm going to lose big.

毫無疑問的，我會輸，而且會輸得很慘。

And, you know, I'm just thinking,

接著，你知道嗎，我還想到：

"Oh, my god, my whole family got in a van

「噢，我的天吶！我們一家子全都擠上一臺麵包車，

and drove down here from Pennsylvania."

一路從賓州開過來耶！」

And, you know, I was the only female U.S. sprinter.

而且，你也曉得，我是唯一代表美國參賽的女子短跑選手。

So they call us out and, you know --

然後，他們就把我們叫出去，說：

"Ladies, you have one minute."

「女士們，比賽將在一分鐘後開始。」

And I remember putting my blocks in and just feeling horrified

我把起跑器裝好，覺得非常忐忑不安，

because there was just this murmur coming over the crowd,

因為我聽見觀眾群裡有人在竊竊私語，

like, the ones who are close enough to the starting line to see.

比如說，那些座位距離起跑線夠近，可以看得很清楚的人，

And I'm like, "I know! Look! This isn't right."

而我就像這樣：「對啊！你瞧瞧！這不太對勁吧！」