Oscar Pistorius

Sprint runner, Paralympics champion, and convicted murderer

• Born: November 22, 1986
• Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa

Significance: Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed "Blade Runner," became a champion sprint runner despite having had his lower legs amputated for medical reasons as an infant. Persevering through many challenges, Pistorius won numerous medals in three Paralympic Games and competed strongly against runners without disabilities in the Olympic Games. He gained legions of fans before a shocking turn of events in 2013, when he shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. He was found guilty and imprisoned; he was paroled in 2024.

Background

Oscar Pistorius was born on November 22, 1986, in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was the middle of three children of Henke and Sheila Pistorius. The Pistorius family was prominent in South Africa and had a long history there, reaching back to an ancestor who immigrated to the country from Switzerland. In South Africa, the Pistorius family spoke English and Afrikaans, the local language developed by Dutch settlers.

Pistorius was born with a rare condition that caused him not to develop fibula. Fibula are long, thin bones that help form the legs below the knees. This condition would affect his future in many ways. His parents and doctors knew that he could not safely walk without fibula, so after much painful consideration, they decided to amputate his legs below the knees. Surgeons performed this procedure when Pistorius was a very young child and fitted him with prosthetic legs before he had even learned to walk. That way, his natural development was hardly interrupted.

Pistorius was an active and energetic child who quickly mastered his prosthetics. He even excelled at many sports, particularly water polo and rugby. Throughout his school years, Pistorius also played tennis and cricket, wrestled, boxed, and ran races. However, a series of events in his youth brought new challenges, both physical and emotional. First, his parents divorced, and Pistorius and his siblings lived with their mother, seldom seeing their father. Then, in 2002, his mother passed away, leaving Pistorius distraught. Just one year later, he suffered a serious sports injury, shattering his knee during a game of rugby.

Life's Work

Despite these struggles, Pistorius carried on. After a period of rehabilitation, he began working out regularly and returned to the sports he loved. Pistorius decided to focus on track running to strengthen his damaged knee. Soon he discovered he both loved and excelled at that sport. He began racing seriously with his school team in 2004 and quickly broke records. His father and coaches realized he had the potential to perform well in the Paralympic Games; in fact, he could already run the 100-meter race faster than the world Paralympics champion could.

Later in 2004, Pistorius competed in that year's Paralympics in Athens, Greece, against other runners who had below-knee amputations. Using special racing prosthetics that looked like curved blades, Pistorius won a bronze third-place award in the 100 meter and took the gold in the 200 meter with a blazing time of 21.97 seconds. This performance caught the attention of many athletes, experts, and fans around the world. Pistorius was now more driven to become a running champion against other amputees as well as runners without disabilities.

In the coming years, Pistorius put in strong showings in the South African Championships, the Paralympic World Cup, and the IAAF Golden Gala. He began collecting medals, trophies, and other prizes for his achievements as well as a growing legion of fans. However, he faced some controversy starting in 2007, when researchers suggested that his racing prosthetics were giving him an unfair advantage over runners with natural legs. After an ongoing debate, however, he was finally cleared to continue, as experts could not prove he had an unfair advantage.

Pistorius worked harder than ever to meet his goal—competing in the Olympic Games against runners without disabilities. By 2011, he had won a World Championship medal, and his race times met the qualification marks for Olympic athletes. The following year in London, England, Pistorius got his chance. He competed in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, running numerous races in both the 100-meter and 200-meter events. Pistorius stunned the world by breaking several records, becoming the first double-leg amputee in the Olympics, and winning one silver and two gold Paralympic medals.

Throughout his career, Pistorius won a wide variety of accolades. These included six gold racing medals for the Paralympic Games in 2004, 2008, and 2012, as well as a bronze in 2004 and a silver in 2012. His record-breaking race times included running 100 meters in 10.91 seconds (South Africa, 2007); running 200 meters in 21.30 seconds (London, 2012); and running 400 meters in 45.07 seconds (Italy, 2011). He also earned prized sponsorships from top international companies, including Nike and Oakley.

The growing legend of Oscar Pistorius took a sudden and shocking turn in 2013, however. On Valentine's Day, February 14, of that year, Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, South African model Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius was arrested and charged with premeditated murder.

Pistorius admitted to shooting Steenkamp, but he insisted it was a tragic accident. He said he had awoken to strange sounds in his home and fired a gun through a door, believing an intruder was in his house. He was heartbroken to discover he had killed his girlfriend instead. A court ruled that he was guilty of culpable homicide, a lesser charge than murder, in 2014. However, the following year, the court reevaluated the case and increased the conviction to murder, with a punishment of six years' imprisonment. Protesting the length of the sentence as it was below the average minimum for murder, prosecutors appealed, and a Supreme Court of Appeal decision in late 2017 brought the total years to be served in prison to fifteen. In early 2023, an effort by Pistorius's legal team to have him released early was denied by a parole board on the basis that he had not yet served the required minimum amount of time. He was approved for parole in November of that year. Pistorius was released on January 5, 2024. Under the conditions of parole, he would be monitored until his sentence expired in December 2029. He was required to meet with a parole officer, perform community service, and attend programs on anger management and violence against women. He was required to follow strict limits on when he could leave home and was barred from consuming alcohol and speaking with the media.

Impact

For persevering despite his physical limitations and emotional struggles, Pistorius became a hero to thousands of fans. He gained the famous nickname "Blade Runner," a reference to his blade-like running prosthetics. Pistorius also motivated many athletes to strive to break new grounds and overcome all challenges. His heroic reputation changed suddenly, however, after his conviction in the murder of Reeva Steenkamp; his ultimate legacy remained uncertain.

Personal Life

Pistorius has a father and two siblings. His mother passed away in 2002, when he was sixteen years old. The siblings were raised by their aunt and uncle after they became estranged from their father.

Bibliography

Eligon, John. "Oscar Pistorius, Olympian Convicted of Murder, Is Denied Early Release from Prison." The New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/world/africa/oscar-pistorius-parole.html. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Geoghegan, Tom. "The Making and Unmaking of Oscar Pistorius," BBC, 3 Nov. 2015, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26628573. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Goldstein, Jack. Oscar Pistorius: Where Did It All Go Wrong? Andrews UK Limited, 2013.

"Oscar Pistorius Fast Facts," CNN, 5 Jan. 2024, www.cnn.com/2013/03/06/world/africa/oscar-pistorius-fast-facts/index.html. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

"Oscar Pistorius Released from Prison on Parole, Authorities Say." ESPN, 5 Jan. 2024, www.espn.com/olympics/story/‗/id/39246006/oscar-pistorius-released-prison-parole. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Sokolove, Michael. "The Fast Life of Oscar Pistorius," New York Times Magazine, 18 Jan. 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/oscar-pistorius.html?mcubz=0. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.