The making
of a sporting hero takes talent, years of hard work, dedication and sporting
excellence. However, the 'unmaking' of a hero can take just one mistake, one
wrong decision or moment of madness. Oscar Pistorius is perhaps one of the best
examples of this. A tragic story of one man who broke the boundaries of
disability sport yet has left the world of sport and athletics stunned through
a tragic act of insanity.
The Blade
Runner: three-time Paralympic Gold medallist and three-time world record
breaker, who, in July 2012 became the first amputee to compete in an Olympic
event at the London Games. For five years he'd fought the courts to race
alongside these athletes and finally won his case. As he stood on the start
line of the 400m semi-final next to able-bodied Olympians, for Pistorius the
race was won. He had silenced the critics and displayed the athleticism and
ability to match those of the runners around him. It didn’t matter where he was
finally placed, he had made it to the top of para-sport and was now competing
with the best able-bodied athletes in the world. This was a stepping stone not
just for Pistorius but for Paralympians and disabled men and women around the
world.
Born without
fibulae, at 11-months old, Pistorius had both legs amputated below the knee -
leaving him with little chance of ever walking. So to think that he would
go on to make a career from being one of the most successful athletes in the
world was astonishing. No one can deny that he has unbelievable talent and his
drive and desire to push the boundaries of sport and bring disability sport
into the spotlight on a world stage is extraordinary. He is a global phenomenon
for all athletes, never pitying himself or seeing his disability as a barrier.
London 2012 was the peak of his career to date.
Then on
Valentine’s day 2013, Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva
Steenkamp through the toilet door of his home. At just 30 years old she
had a life ahead of her and was set to be one of South Africa’s most successful
models. Come July 2014 and Oscar Pistorius was on trial for murder, which
lasted a gruelling 49 days. Reeva's mother sat emotionless throughout, numb to
the realisation that her daughter was killed by the man who sitting before her.
And Pistorius; broken. As he gave his account of the events that night, the
court room and world who were watching, witnessed his fall from grace. He was
sentenced to 5 years in prison for culpable homicide, yet put under house
arrest after just 12 months. An outcome that sparked debate over the South
African justice system and one that Reeva’s parents believed was not enough. He
served his original one-year sentence and thoughts soon turned to the prospect
that he could be competing at Rio 2016 Olympics - somewhat ridiculous when he’d
been behind bars just 18 months before.
Oscar Pistorius
hasn't always been free from dispute. When you're at the top of your game,
being pushed by other athletes helps spur you on and motivate you to train that
bit harder. Yet when he was beaten by Alan Oliveira over 200m at the London
2012 Paralympics, Pistorius suggested Oliveira had cheated. “We aren’t racing a
fair race” he protested. Suggesting that Oliveria’s carbon fibre blades were
longer than his and longer than the IPC calculated length for someone of that
size. This outburst was one of the first times Pistorius had let his guard down
in front of the world’s media, and despite apologising for the timing of
his complaint, he stood by his statement that there was an issue on the matter.
For the general public, this was a sign of what many close to him already knew
– Pistorius had a volatile nature, an uncompromising temper, a counter to his
apparent kind and giving personality.
Then on 3rd
December 2015, the original conviction was overturned. Pistorius now found
guilty of murder.
Once
confined by his disability, then defined as the breakthrough star of Paralympic
sport, how Pistorius is now defined is yet to be decided. It's difficult to
know what to say and think about a man that's provided so much to the sport of
athletics and acted as such as positive role model to hundreds of less able
people around the world. What he has done for Paralympic sport is
phenomenal - he was the poster boy of athletics. He has bridged the gap between
Olympic and Paralympic sport and given hope and belief to hundreds of disabled
athletes around the world. Understandably, questions concerning whether he
should still be seen as a role model are controversial. When you hear the name
Oscar Pistorius it is hard not to think first of the tragic events of 2013. Yet
look beyond that and thoughts and opinions become much less clear.
Oscar
Pistorius; athlete, celebrity, inspiration and yet murderer - the most bitter
of endings for someone who was changing the world of para-sport and perceptions
of disability. His contribution to athletics can't and shouldn't be forgotten.
In my eyes, he will remain a sporting great. Unlike those who are found guilty
of drug doping; sporting frauds, Pistorius’ actions and decisions in his life
outside of his sport were his downfall, unrelated to being an outstanding
athlete. Yet he has taken a life, a life of someone so young with their future
ahead of them. And with that, he has also taken his own life, his talent and
sporting greatness away from himself – the ultimate price for someone who’s
dedicated their life to a career in sport and inspiring others.
