Hidden in the shadow of this year’s highly controversial Summer Olympic games were the Paralympics games in Brazil, reserved for individuals with disabilities that supposedly make them unable to compete with competitors dubbed as “normal.” More often than not, however, Paralympic contestants exceed expectations, and there have been instances throughout history where individuals competing in the Paralympics actually performed better than those involved in the regular Summer Olympics.

In this year’s Paralympics, a few middle distance runners shocked the world with their outstanding performances in the 1500 meter final. Four runners, all plagued by visual impairments, finished with times under three minutes and fifty seconds. To put that into perspective: the winner of the regular Olympics 1500 meter final, Matthew Centrowitz, finished in exactly three minutes and fifty seconds. Finishing first in the Paralympic final was Abdellatif Baka of Algeria, followed Ethiopia’s Tamiru Demisse, Kenya’s Henry Kirwa, and coming fourth was Fouad Baka, ironically the brother of gold medalist Abdellatif Baka.

Spectacular performances by runners in the 2016 Paralympics displayed the potential of disabled individuals, and that just because they are labeled as being “different” does not mean that they cannot accomplish amazing feats. If you attain a relentless work ethic and stay dedicated to a particular activity, there are no limits to what an individual can accomplish.