1 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,239 Speaker 1: Welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals. I'm your host, 2 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: Jay Harris, ready to serve up a story that's gripped 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: the entire world with its highs of human triumph and 4 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: low's steeped and terrible tragedy. Is it a palatable tale? 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: Absolutely not. But I know you crave bold blends and 6 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: it's my job to deliver up all the juicy details. 7 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 1: So drink up and that's gonna move on, because today 8 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: we need to keep pace with Oscar Pistorias, the South 9 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: African sprinter known as the blade Runner. Oscar Pistorias shattered 10 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: records and broke barriers by becoming the first amputee to 11 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: compete in both the Paralympics and the Olympics, running on 12 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: prosthetic blades that earned him both his nickname and a 13 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: place in sports history. But beneath the smile of this 14 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: celebrated athlete lay dangerous complexities that were destined to surface. 15 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: From day one, it was clear that Oscar Pistorius would 16 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 1: have obstacles to overcome. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 17 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: November twenty second, nineteen eighty six, Oscar was born with 18 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: fibular hemomilia a rare congenital disorder that left him without 19 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: fibulas in both legs. The fibula runs between the knee 20 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: and ankle beside the tibia, and nowadays, children born with 21 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: fibular hem amelia typically undergo limb lengthening surgery as a 22 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: first course of treatment, but Oscar's parents, Hank and Sheila, 23 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: took doctor's recommendations to amputate both of his legs below 24 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: the knee when he was just eleven months old. This 25 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: severe surgery, taking place before his first birthday, would forever 26 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: impact the trajectory of Oscar Pistorius's life. Hank and Sheila 27 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: Pistorius initially provided great stability for Oscar and his two siblings, 28 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: an elder brother named Karl and a younger sister named Amy. 29 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: But despite the Pistorias family's proud Africana heritage infused with 30 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: steadfast Christian values and financial affluence, life in Johannesburg during 31 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 1: the nineteen eighties and nineteen nineties was tumultuous. South Africa 32 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: was transitioning from the oppressive regime of apartheid to a 33 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 1: fully democratic society. The era was marked by both intense 34 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: conflict and profound hope, with significant social and economic challenges. 35 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: Oscar's mother, Sheila, recognized the challenges of the time and 36 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: taught her children to face adversity head on. According to 37 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: The Daily Mail, she even penned a motivational note for 38 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: Oscar before his double amputation, with a message he would 39 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: be able to digest when he was older. It famously read, 40 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: the real loser is not the one who crosses the 41 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: finish line last. The real loser is the one who 42 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: sits on the side, the one who does not even 43 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: try to compete. Sheila's words would indeed resonate with her 44 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: son Oscar as he grew up in an uneasy society 45 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 1: and ultimately an uneasy home. By nineteen ninety two, when 46 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: Oscar was six years old, his parents, Hank and Shila Pastorius, 47 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: called it quits on their marriage. While it's unclear what 48 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: specifically precipitated their divorce, numerous news outlets, from International Business 49 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: Times UK to The Sun have since described Hank as 50 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: a party animal with a taste for young women, so 51 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: we can speculate that Hank's Christian values may have taken 52 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: a tumble when met with temptation. In any event, Hank 53 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: left Sheila, who was unprepared to raise three children as 54 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: a single mother. According to Nation reporter Jeff Anthony, Sheila 55 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: struggled in anguish as a single mother, raising Oscar and 56 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: his siblings Amy and Karl with barely enough cash flow. 57 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: She was terrified of crime and lived in agitation of 58 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: an intruder breaking into her home. This is because when 59 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: Hank left, she and the children moved to a smaller 60 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: home in a rougher neighborhood. There were several break ins, 61 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: to which Sheila responded by taking an extreme precaution of 62 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: sleeping with a loaded pistol under her pillow. Sheila also 63 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: battled with an inner grief from her divorce that led 64 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: to her solitary drinking. Her addiction led to a liver complication. 65 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: Watching his beloved mother's descent from a strong can do 66 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:40,039 Speaker 1: figure to an always worried single parent would forever strain 67 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: Oscar's relationship with his father, Hank. Hank, meanwhile, was seemingly 68 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: unconcerned by his ex wife's and children's struggles. He relocated 69 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: himself seven hundred miles southeast of Johannesburg to the bustling 70 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: coastal city of Port Elizabeth. Hank would try to buy 71 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: favor with his children, purchasing things like a small speedboat 72 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: for them to use during visits. But Sheila was undoubtedly 73 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: Oscar's rock. Even as she faced her own demons, Shila 74 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: did her best to empower her children with strength. Oscar 75 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: would recall a story about a boy who ripped all 76 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 1: the buttons off his shirt at school. When he came 77 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 1: home that day, his mother told him not to let 78 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: it happen again. So when the boy ripped the buttons 79 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: off Oscar's shirt a second time, Oscar got into his 80 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: first fight. When Sila Pastorius was summoned by the headmaster, 81 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: she defended Oscar for fighting and then sent the shirt 82 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: to the boy's mother to sew the buttons back on. 83 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: My family always believed in standing up for yourself and 84 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: standing up for what you believe in, Oscar explained. We 85 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: were taught that you have got to cope. Part of 86 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: Oscar's coping strategy was undoubtedly his engagement with sports. From 87 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: his early school years at Constantia Koloff Primary School to 88 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: his early teens at the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School, 89 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: Oscar participated in athletics. Even with prosthetic legs, he played 90 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: on his school's rugby team, and between the ages of 91 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: eleven and thirteen, he even played tennis and water polo 92 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: at the provincial levels. But at age fifteen, while he 93 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: was thriving athletically and academically as a boarding student at 94 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School, his foundation was shaken 95 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: with the news of his mother's sudden, life threatening illness. 96 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 1: Initially misdiagnosed with hepatitis, Shila's health took a terrible turn 97 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:44,239 Speaker 1: when she received the wrong medical treatment. Realizing that Sheila 98 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: was declining precipitously, her friend Gillian Silcock rushed her to 99 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: the hospital and later told Ianca via The Epoch Times 100 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: that Sheila had had a brain hemorrhage at that point. 101 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: But she didn't go. She didn't let go and go 102 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: be with her dad in heavy until the boys, Oscar 103 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: and Carl got there. When her boys walked in, they 104 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: were able to see her and say goodbye, and she 105 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: waited because after a short period of time, fifteen minutes 106 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: or so, she went after her son's arrived. It was 107 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: March six, two thousand and two, and at just fifteen 108 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: years old, Oscar Pastorius said a final goodbye to his mother, Sheila, 109 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: who had always stood steadfastly by him and profoundly shaped 110 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: his upbringing. He would say a quiet prayer for her 111 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: before every competitive sports event for the rest of his life. 112 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: In the wake of his mother's death, Oscar doubled down 113 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: on his athletic pursuits. Sport was my salvation, as it 114 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: helped me get through this difficult time, Oscar Pistorius wrote, 115 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: my mother had been a strong woman, the center of 116 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: my world. Sporting activity was the only thing that could 117 00:07:56,240 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: distract me from such a loss. Oscar trained incredible hard. 118 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: In fact, one trainer, Jenny Brooks, recalled how Oscar used 119 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: his gym in Pretoria for six months boxing, skipping and 120 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: doing press ups before Jenny realized Oscar had no legs. 121 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: It was remarkable and a testament to how Shila Pastorius 122 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: had raised her son. Oscar was just one of the bunch, 123 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: Jenny said, doing everything in the gym at the same 124 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: pace as everybody else. But a year after Sheila's death, 125 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: hardship would strike Oscar yet again when he shattered his 126 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,839 Speaker 1: knee on the rugby pitch. This was an injury from 127 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: which Oscar could not heal quickly. In fact, he was 128 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 1: now back under the care of the very same medics 129 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: who had carried out his amputations at eleven months old. However, 130 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: this period of enormous distress did come with a silver lining. 131 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: It was during his rehabilitation at the University of Pretoria's 132 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: High Performance Center that he was advised to take up 133 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: running to help his knee joint recover. And the timing 134 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: of this recommendation was kick because Chris Hadding, a longtime 135 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: family friend of the Pastorius and design engineer, was now 136 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: working for a US firm focused on developing new lighter prosthetics. 137 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: When Chris learned that Oscar had taken up running, he 138 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: invited him to the US to try the cutting edge 139 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 1: flex foot Cheeta blades, manufactured by Oscer, a company well 140 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: established for non invasive orthopedic braces. It was a game 141 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: changer for Oscar, as reported by the BBC, three weeks 142 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: after taking up sprinting with the flex foot Cheetah blades, 143 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 1: Oscar Pistorius ran his first one hundred meter race. He 144 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: won the race in a time faster than any double 145 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: amputee had achieved before, eleven point seven to two seconds. 146 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: A star was born. Oscar quickly realized that pivoting to 147 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: sprinting was not just part of his physical rehabilitation, it 148 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: was his future. His unique running style and the sounds 149 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: of his artificial limbs hitting the synthetic rubber track became 150 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: symbolic of his resilience. Two thousand and four proved to 151 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: be a pivotal year for the now seventeen year old Oscar. 152 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: He burst onto the international scene at the Athens Paralympics, 153 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 1: where he won the gold medal in the two hundred 154 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: meters and set a new Paralympic record with the world 155 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: best time of twenty one point nine seven seconds. His 156 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: performance was more than a victory, It was a statement 157 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: to the world that disability did not define ability. It 158 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 1: was an Athens that Oscar gained the nickname which would 159 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: follow him evermore, blade Runner. Now. For many people, Oscar 160 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: the Blade Runner was an inspiration period, but for others, 161 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: his win at the Athens Paralympics sparked a broader controversy 162 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: about the intersection of technology, ability and competition. Oscar's use 163 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,719 Speaker 1: of cutting edge prosthetic blades was viewed by some as 164 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: an unfair advantage, and so his signature blades become a 165 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: heated point of debate as he expressed his desire to 166 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: compete against able bodied athletes. If the blade legs did 167 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: provide such an advantage that some of the people are claiming, 168 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: Oscar argued, then there would be a lot of amputees 169 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: using the exact same prosthetic legs I have, running the 170 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:20,959 Speaker 1: exact same times I have, And that's not the case. 171 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: And so ever, his mother's son, Oscar pushed naysayers to 172 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: the side and forged ahead with his ambition to compete 173 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: against able bodied athletes. His quest for parody would challenge 174 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 1: the norms and rules of international sports. In two thousand 175 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: and seven, for example, Oscar set his sights on competing 176 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: in the two thousand and eight Beijing Olympics. This was 177 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:52,079 Speaker 1: an unprecedented goal for a double amputee and necessitated challenging 178 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 1: the regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which 179 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: stipulated that his prosthetic limbs gave him an unfair advantage 180 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:05,839 Speaker 1: over able bodied runners. Experts were divided. Some of them 181 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: thought Oscar's blades gave him the ability to move in 182 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 1: a way that no able bodied person could, while others 183 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: argued that the blades hindered him more than helped him. 184 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: In the end, however, science broke it down. The average 185 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: elite male sprinter moves his leg from back to front 186 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: in thirty seven hundreds of a second. The five most 187 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: recent world record holders in the one hundred metersh average 188 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: thirty four hundreds of a second. Oscar Pistorius could swing 189 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: his leg in twenty eight hundreds of a second, largely 190 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 1: because his prosthetics were lighter than a regular human leg. 191 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: With his rivals swinging lower legs with an average weight 192 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 1: of five point seven kilograms versus his lower prosthetic weight 193 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:52,239 Speaker 1: of two point four kilograms, Oscar did have an advantage 194 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: right wrong, because the blades didn't allow Oscar as much 195 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: force in pushing off between strides. This, it was argued, 196 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 1: was a disadvantage for Oscar that was more significant than 197 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: any potential limb weight advantage he gained when competing, and so, 198 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: after a series of legal battles and scientific tests, the 199 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in Oscar Pistorius' favor. 200 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: In May two thousand and eight, CNN World Sports Don 201 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: Riddell described the ruling in Oscar Pistorius' favor as groundbreaking, 202 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 1: and he was right. It was undeniably an historic moment 203 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: for sport, opening doors for future athletes with disabilities to 204 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: compete in mainstream events, and it was a huge moment 205 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: for Oscar Pistorius, whose international fame grew as his inspiring 206 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: story became known globally. Weeks after the Court of Arbitration 207 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: for Sport ruled in his favor, Oscar Pistorius was featured 208 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,680 Speaker 1: in the Time one hundred, which is Time magazine's list 209 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: to the world the world's most influential people, where he 210 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: was heralded for challenging perceptions of disability in sports. This 211 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: newfound prestige fueled Oscar's impact, turning him into an icon 212 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: for millions around the world. The only disability in life 213 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,800 Speaker 1: is having a bad attitude. He equipped to the delight 214 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: of people grappling with disability and adversity generally. Even though 215 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: Oscar Pistorius missed qualifying for the two thousand and eight 216 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 1: Beijing Olympics by seven tenths of a second, his tenacity 217 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: had made him a gold medalist in the court of 218 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: public opinion. While Oscar was disappointed to not qualify for 219 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: the Olympics, the two thousand and eight Beijing Paralympic Games 220 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: were still in his sights. He competed in three events there, 221 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred 222 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: meters Held at the Iconic Bird's Nest Stadium, these Paralympic 223 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: Games were a chance for Oscar to prove his medal 224 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: on the world stage once again, and he did not disappoint. 225 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: Oscar's performances were nothing short of spectacular. In the one 226 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: hundred meters, Oscar Pistorius blazed through the track, winning gold 227 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: with a time of eleven point one seven seconds. In 228 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:15,920 Speaker 1: the two hundred meters, he set a new Paralympic record, 229 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: clinching another gold with a time of twenty one point 230 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: sixty seven seconds. This victory highlighted his dominance in the 231 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: sprint events, and in the four hundred meters, Oscar kept 232 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: off his Paralympic campaign with a third gold medal, finishing 233 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 1: in forty seven point four to nine seconds. Oscar Pistorius's 234 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: success at the two thousand and eight Paralympics solidified his 235 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: status as a trailblazer and celebrity in the world of athletics. 236 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: His achievements in Beijing were celebrated around the world, inspiring 237 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: countless individuals with disabilities to pursue their dreams. But Oscar's 238 00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: Olympic dreams were still unfulfilled. His close but not quite 239 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: qualifying for the Able Bodied Olympics, no doubt, stung the 240 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: man hailed for his near herculean determination. Oscar threw himself 241 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: into training, determined to qualify for the twenty twelve London 242 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:19,239 Speaker 1: Olympic Games, even as his sponsorship deals and media appearances multiplied. 243 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: Tony Garrett, a Paralympic commentator, summed up the frenzied excitement 244 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: around the young sprinter Oscar, with his personality, athletic prowess 245 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: and the fact that he was trying to compete in 246 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: the able bodied Olympics made him the big breakthrough name 247 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: who brought sponsorship and Paralympic sport to the next level internationally, 248 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 1: Tony Garrett told the BBC, and Tony was right on 249 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: the mark. It was later revealed by Market Realist that 250 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: Oscar was earning approximately two million dollars a year, largely 251 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: derived from sponsorships. He was also earning accolades on the track, 252 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: and ultimately all his hard work paid off. Oscar qualified 253 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 1: for the Olympics. On August fourth, twenty twelve. He made 254 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,679 Speaker 1: history in London by becoming the first amputee sprinter to 255 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: compete at the Olympics by running in an opening heat 256 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: of the men's four hundred meter event. He finished second 257 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: in his heat with the season best time of forty 258 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: five point four to four seconds, which advanced him to 259 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:25,880 Speaker 1: the semifinals. It's just an unbelievable experience, Oscar said shortly 260 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 1: after his first Olympic race. I found myself smiling on 261 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:32,359 Speaker 1: the starting blocks, which is very rare, and although he 262 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:35,119 Speaker 1: finished last in the semifinal round with a time of 263 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,119 Speaker 1: forty six point five to four seconds, what he achieved 264 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 1: was remarkable. Five days later, Oscar's Olympics would continue with 265 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 1: the South African relay team's four by four hundred meter race. 266 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:50,239 Speaker 1: On August ninth, twenty twelve, During the first semifinal, a 267 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: collision caused by Kenyon runner Vincent Keelu led to the 268 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 1: South African team's second leg runner of Fence Muggawane, falling 269 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: to the track with a disc located left shoulder before 270 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: he could hand over to Oscar. South African officials acted promptly, 271 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: citing interference to the International Association of Athletics Federation or 272 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: IAAF and lodging an appeal. When the IAAF upheld this appeal, 273 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,160 Speaker 1: Oscar was a static to have a renewed chance at 274 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: meddling in London. It's on, tweeted Oscar after the favorable 275 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: decision was announced by the Jury of appeal. We are 276 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: in the final. Team management protested as offence was taken 277 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: out and we have been given lane nine. While South 278 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 1: Africa finished eighth in a field of nine and Oscar 279 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:48,959 Speaker 1: Pistorius did not ultimately medle in London, his participation at 280 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: the Olympics was a game changer for athletes with disabilities, 281 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 1: was a unifying moment for South Africans, regardless of their 282 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 1: political affiliations, and fulfilled his personal dream to comp speed 283 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:04,160 Speaker 1: against the world's top able bodied runners. As a nod 284 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 1: to his tremendous journey, Oscar was chosen to carry the 285 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: South African flag during the closing ceremony of the twenty 286 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:16,439 Speaker 1: twelve Games, underscoring his personal role as a trailblazer and inspiration. 287 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 1: After the Olympic Games, twenty five year old Oscar Pistorius 288 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,639 Speaker 1: was on top of the world. His endorsement shot up 289 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: in price, with brands like Nike, Oakley and BT eager 290 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: to ink deals. Public speaking opportunities were endless, and he 291 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:37,119 Speaker 1: advocated heavily for technological advancements and policy changes to promote 292 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: inclusion in sports at all levels. Everyone knew who he was. 293 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: Oscar Pistorius was a beloved man. The cracks first started 294 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 1: to publicly show in Oscar Pistorius's facade of perfection at 295 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: the twenty twelve Summer Paralympics, which was also held in London. 296 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: Once again, Oscar demonstrated his exceptional athletic prowess, competing in 297 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: the four by one hundred meter relay as well as 298 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred 299 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 1: meter races in the T four to four classification, which 300 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 1: is the sports classification which applies to athletes with single 301 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:22,160 Speaker 1: below knee amputation or who can walk with moderately reduced 302 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:26,359 Speaker 1: function in one or both legs. While Oscar dominated in 303 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: the four hundred meters, winning gold and setting a new 304 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: Paralympic record with a time of forty six point sixty 305 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: eight seconds, in the two hundred meters, he was defeated 306 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:40,120 Speaker 1: by Brazil's Alan Olivera, who also ran on blades. Faced 307 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: with losing to another blade runner, a stunned Oscar Pistorius 308 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:49,160 Speaker 1: struck out publicly questioning the legitimacy of Alan Olivera's blade length. 309 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 1: Immediately after the race, he hit out at the International 310 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 1: Paralympic Committee for failing to act over the length of 311 00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: some athletes blades and to the public, it very much 312 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: seemed as though their golden boy was being a sore loser. 313 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: Oscar seemingly realized that his public image had taken a 314 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: hit because he tried to roll back his vitriol in 315 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: a statement to the Press Association Sport, saying I would 316 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: never want to detract from another athlete's moment of triumph, 317 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: and I want to apologize for the timing of my 318 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: comments after yesterday's race. I do believe that there is 319 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 1: an issue here, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss 320 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: it with the International Paralympic Committee. But I accept that 321 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track 322 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 1: was wrong. That was Allen's moment, and I would like 323 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: to put on record the respect I have for him. 324 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 1: The International Paralympic Committee shot back quickly stating that all 325 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: athletes competing in the men's two hundred meter T forty 326 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:52,680 Speaker 1: four final were checked by international classifiers in the call 327 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: room ahead of the race, All blades were within the 328 00:21:56,119 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 1: regulations outlined in the IPC Athletics Classification Handbook, and Alan 329 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: Olivera himself expressed sadness that Oscar Pastorius had tarnished his 330 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: gold medal win, explaining that the two had frequently competed 331 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: and been friends prior to the two hundred meter race. 332 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: The situation between Oscar and I is grim, Allan confessed 333 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: to the BBC. Now Oscar passes me and does not 334 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: talk to me. Oscar's mood, while certainly not improved by 335 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,479 Speaker 1: losing to Alan in the two hundred meter race at 336 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 1: the twenty twelve Paralympics, had generally soured as his fame grew. 337 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 1: Oscar's lifestyle and image changed, and clearly something got to 338 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: him and he wasn't the same person. There were so 339 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: many demands on his time. Commentator Tony Garrett recalled, I 340 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: think he let rip every so often, and he wouldn't 341 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: have done that a few years ago. Other people who 342 00:22:55,359 --> 00:23:00,399 Speaker 1: knew Oscar Pistorius agreed with Tony's assessment. Sports journalists Graham Jaffi, 343 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: for one, co owned a racehorse named Tiger Canyon with 344 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:06,919 Speaker 1: Oscar and three others. The two had been acquainted for 345 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: thirteen years and Graham had always been impressed by Oscar's personality, 346 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: which he described as confident and friendly. But when Graham 347 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: met up with Oscar alongside the other racehorse owners in 348 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 1: twenty twelve, he noticed a clear shift in his demeanor. 349 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 1: I immediately thought there was something about Oscar that had changed. 350 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 1: Graham said, he was a different man to the one 351 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: I had interviewed so many times, in the sense that 352 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: he was a bit stand offish and a little bit cold, 353 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 1: not his usual warm self. He was showing a spoiled 354 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,679 Speaker 1: brat attitude that came out at the Paralympics in twenty 355 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: twelve when he embarrassed the country. And it wasn't just 356 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: Oscar's attitude that had become problematic. The famous printer had 357 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: also become increasingly reckless, as was evidenced by his dangerous 358 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,439 Speaker 1: handling of a speedboat on the Vaar River, resulting in 359 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: a need for him to be airlifted, placed on a 360 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:06,640 Speaker 1: ventilator and rushed into surgery. He recovered physically from that accident, 361 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:11,119 Speaker 1: but his increased tendency towards danger continued to manifest in 362 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: an ever growing attraction to firearms. Oscar became a frequent 363 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,120 Speaker 1: visitor to shooting ranges, and his social media often featured 364 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,159 Speaker 1: photos and video clips of his sessions. In one such video, 365 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 1: Oscar was seen firing at a watermelon, which exploded as 366 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: the athlete hit it dead center. Then a voice which 367 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 1: sounds very much like Oscar's is heard saying it's not 368 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: as soft as brains, but it's a zombie stopper, as 369 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:44,439 Speaker 1: his entourage shrieked with laughter. Now, some of oarguty was 370 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: always probable for Oscar to develop a fixation with guns. First, 371 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 1: there were his memories of his mother, Sheila, always keeping 372 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,840 Speaker 1: a gun close at hand for protection after his father 373 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,479 Speaker 1: Hank left, And second, the reality is that guns are 374 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: part of life in South Africa. High crime rates make 375 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 1: personal security a significant concern for many citizens. According to 376 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: the BBC, there are more than two point seven million 377 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: legal gun owners in South Africa, which is roughly eight 378 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:19,159 Speaker 1: percent of the adult population. Now, this statistic pales in 379 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,440 Speaker 1: comparison to gun ownership in the Usa, which was at 380 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: thirty two percent of the adult population as of twenty 381 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 1: twenty three. But the big difference is that in South 382 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:34,400 Speaker 1: Africa violent crime rates are significantly higher. Last year, there 383 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 1: were fifteen thousand, nine hundred and forty murders in South 384 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: Africa versus twelve thousand, nine hundred and ninety six murders 385 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: in the United States. When you're just those figures for population, 386 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 1: that put South Africa's murder rate per million people at 387 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:52,920 Speaker 1: three hundred and eighteen point eighty six versus the US 388 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 1: murder rate per million people at forty two point oh one. 389 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: That is a massive difference. Understanding that South Africa's bullet 390 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: heavy culture was ingrained in Oscar Pistorius is significant. He 391 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 1: was not an outlier for having a private arsenal and 392 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 1: engaging in routine shooting practice. In South Africa's climate of 393 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: heightened security concerns, it isn't at all uncommon for households 394 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 1: and especially households in wealthier neighborhoods such as the oscars, 395 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: to employ extensive security measures, including alarm systems, high fences, 396 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: having guns on side at the ready, and professional armed 397 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: response services on call. Oscar had grown up in an 398 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: environment where fear loomed, and as his sprinting winds made 399 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 1: of a household name increased, career pressure and concerns about 400 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: personal safety may well have started to shake his pedestal 401 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:54,200 Speaker 1: from the outside looking in. However, Oscar Pistorias seemed to 402 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 1: have found his anchor in November twenty twelve when he 403 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,640 Speaker 1: started dating twenty nine year old model, reality TV star 404 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,720 Speaker 1: in law graduate Reva steam Kemp. Reva had it all, 405 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:09,399 Speaker 1: brain's beauty and a winning personality. Local media rushed to 406 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 1: compare their relationship to the likes of David and Victoria Beckham. 407 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:17,440 Speaker 1: Reva was not arm candy for Oscar. She had her 408 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: own achievements and a promising future. Reva's friend from Port 409 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: Elizabeth's Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Carrie Smith, described Reva as 410 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: more than just a pretty face. She had a beautiful 411 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 1: heart and ambition. Carrie also said that Reva aspired to 412 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 1: use her legal degree to help women in abusive situations, 413 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,200 Speaker 1: alleging that Reva had come out of an abusive relationship 414 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: with the jockey Wayne Agrella prior to dating Oscar. Now 415 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:48,720 Speaker 1: Wayne Agrella has adamantly denied Carrie's claim, but Carrie told 416 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,720 Speaker 1: the BBC that for Reva, I think with Wayne it 417 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: was mainly mental. I don't know that he was physically abusive, 418 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,639 Speaker 1: but definitely emotionally abusive. When she was with Wayne, she 419 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 1: all always felt she had to cover up. She would 420 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: always be on these fad diets with him. She lost 421 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: a lot of weight. It wasn't a healthy relationship. When 422 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:12,600 Speaker 1: she moved to Johannesburg, we were grateful because it meant 423 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,639 Speaker 1: she would be free from him. Was Carrie's assessment of 424 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: Reva's previous long term relationship accurate. Later, Revas Steenkamp's sister 425 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 1: Simone would tell the Sydney Morning Herald the exact opposite, 426 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:29,200 Speaker 1: saying that Reva didn't know anything about volatile relationships and fighting. 427 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: She was beautiful and much loved. She had had a 428 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:36,120 Speaker 1: few boyfriends, and they remained close even after the romance 429 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: was over. Regardless of Reva's dating history, where differing accounts 430 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: from her friends and family members make an objectively true 431 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 1: account elusive, one thing that cannot be denied is that 432 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: Oscar Pistorius's dating history was volatile, violent, and egregiously underreported. 433 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 1: According to Oscar's ex girl friend, Samantha Taylor, who dated 434 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: him for eighteen months before he cheated on her with Reva, 435 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: Oscar would bite and pinch her, leaving her scarred and bruised. 436 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: He also allegedly locked her in his house with no food, 437 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: and on one occasion, because she was so frightened of 438 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: his temper, she hid his gun from it. According to 439 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: Reva Steinkamp's mother, June, even in the early days of 440 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 1: her daughter's relationship with Oscar Pastorius, Reva saw red flags. 441 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: As reported by The Guardian, Riva told Oscar on more 442 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: than one occasion that she was scared of him. Text 443 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: messages from Riva to Oscar included statements like I'm scared 444 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 1: of you sometimes and how you snap at me and 445 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: how you will react to me. Far from the glittering 446 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: lights of the star studded events they attended together, the 447 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: relationship between Oscar and Reva was becoming increasingly worrisome. According 448 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 1: to The Independent, there was a time when Riva called 449 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: her mother June on the phone, terrified to say that 450 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: Oscar was driving dangerously at one hundred and sixty one 451 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: miles per hour with her in the car, and Bussull 452 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 1: reported that according to junesteen Camp By month three of 453 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: the relationship, Reva was looking for a way out. In fact, 454 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: June told The Times that Riva had confided to me 455 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: that she hadn't slept with Oscar. They'd shared a bed, 456 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: but she was scared to take the relationship to that level. 457 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:26,960 Speaker 1: She didn't want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn't sure. 458 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 1: June further noted that, in her opinion, as Riva's mother, 459 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: the relationship was done. In her heart of hearts, Reva 460 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 1: didn't think the relationship was making either of them happy, 461 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 1: but be that as it may. Oscar Pistorius had a 462 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 1: terrible temper, he didn't like to lose, and the situation 463 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: was a powder keg waiting to explode. February thirteenth, twenty thirteen, 464 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: allegedly began like any other day for Oscar Pistorius and 465 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: Riva steam Camp. They woke up in their mansion in 466 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 1: the prestigious gated Pretoria community silver Woods Estate. Reva was 467 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: preparing for a scheduled speech about empowering women. Oscar claims 468 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 1: to have spent his morning training. As night fell, the 469 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 1: couple allegedly decided to stay in for a quiet dinner 470 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 1: at home. There are no reports of visitors or unusual 471 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: activities at the home during the evening. Security footage and 472 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 1: electronic communications from the day indicate nothing whatsoever out of 473 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: the ordinary. Now this is where February thirteen, twenty thirteen, derails. 474 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:44,480 Speaker 1: This is Oscar Pistorius's account of what happened. Oscar claims 475 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: that by around ten PM, he and Reva were in 476 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: their bedroom, where she was practicing yoga and he was 477 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: watching television. He claims that his prosthetic legs were off, 478 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 1: as he generally slept without them. He arranged two fans 479 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: in the doorway lead heading out to the balcony because 480 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: their air conditioning wasn't working. They both fell asleep shortly thereafter. 481 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: During the early morning hours of February fourteenth, Valentine's Day, 482 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:14,240 Speaker 1: Oscar says he woke up because the bedroom was hot 483 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: and humid. Oscar claimed that Reva had also woken up 484 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 1: and asked him, you can't sleep, baba. Realizing that neither 485 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: of them would be able to sleep unless the room 486 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: was cooled down, Oscar says he got up without his 487 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: legs on and moved the fans from the balcony doorway 488 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: to inside the bedroom. He then pulled the curtains tight 489 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: to block a slim bit of light that was peeping through, 490 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 1: and moved Reva's jeans from the floor to cover a 491 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: small led light that was bothering him on an amplifier. However, 492 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 1: before he finished covering the led light, he heard the 493 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: sound of a window opening in the bathroom. Oscar claims 494 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 1: that he believed the noise was from an intruder who 495 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,959 Speaker 1: was in the house, possibly via a ladder to the window. 496 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: Still on his stumps, Oscar says he retrieved his gun 497 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: from beneath the left side of the bed. He claims 498 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 1: to have whispered to Riva to call the police, and 499 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: then moved into the hallway leading to the bathroom with 500 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 1: a gun pointed in front of him. Oscar says he 501 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 1: then leaned against the hallway wall for better stability on 502 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: his stumps. He yelled for the person to get out 503 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: of his house and yelled for Reva to call the police. 504 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: Oscar claims he felt vulnerable on his stumps and he 505 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: feared that someone was about to come out of the 506 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 1: bathroom when he heard the sound of wood moving and 507 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: thought the door was opening. He describes having been overcome 508 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 1: with fear in this moment and reacted by firing four 509 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: shots in quick succession through the bathroom door. Due to 510 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:48,719 Speaker 1: the close range gun shots, Oscar says his ears were 511 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: ringing and he was unable to hear anything. Then Oscar 512 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:57,560 Speaker 1: retreated back down the hallway to the bed, still aiming 513 00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 1: his gun at the bathroom and case it intruder emerged. 514 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: Oscar says he felt for Riva in the bed in 515 00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: the dark and didn't find her there. He thought she 516 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:09,280 Speaker 1: might be hiding on the floor or behind the curtains, 517 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:13,799 Speaker 1: so he checked both places. This, Oscar says, was the 518 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: haunting moment when he first suspected that Riva may have 519 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,880 Speaker 1: been in the bathroom. He described it as the moment 520 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: when everything changed. Oscar says he moved as quickly as 521 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: he could back to the bathroom door, still holding the gun, 522 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 1: and tried the doorknob. When he found the door was locked, 523 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:35,799 Speaker 1: he says he went back to the bedroom, put on 524 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 1: his legs, opened the curtains to the balcony while screaming 525 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,239 Speaker 1: for God to help him. Then, with his legs on, 526 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:45,879 Speaker 1: he slammed into the bathroom door with his body. When 527 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 1: that was unsuccessful, Oscar says he got a cricket bat 528 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:51,840 Speaker 1: and smashed a hole in the bathroom door so he 529 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: could reach in, pick up a key from the floor, 530 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: and let himself in. Once inside the bathroom, Oscar says 531 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:04,160 Speaker 1: he discovered revastein Camp slumped over the toilet. He sat 532 00:35:04,239 --> 00:35:07,840 Speaker 1: over her and cried. Then he ran to the left 533 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 1: side of his bed to retrieve his phone and returned 534 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:13,759 Speaker 1: to Reva's body, where he called a neighbor at three 535 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:18,440 Speaker 1: nineteen am. At three twenty am, he phoned the ambulance service, 536 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:21,960 Speaker 1: and at three twenty one am he called security at 537 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:27,239 Speaker 1: his estate. Then Oscar Pastoria says he picked up revastein 538 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:30,759 Speaker 1: Camp and took her downstairs near the front door. When 539 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:34,479 Speaker 1: the neighbor arrived, Oscar had his fingers in Reva's mouth 540 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 1: to keep her airway open and a hand on her 541 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,759 Speaker 1: hip to try and staunch the bleeding. When police and 542 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:44,680 Speaker 1: paramedics arrived, they asked Oscar to move away from Riva 543 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 1: and wait in the kitchen. Soon after, a paramedic informed 544 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:54,080 Speaker 1: Oscar that Reva was dead. Oscar next asked the police 545 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:56,720 Speaker 1: if he could wash his bloody hands because the smell 546 00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 1: was making him feel ill. About two hours hours later, 547 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 1: He requested that the police take whatever photos of him 548 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:07,239 Speaker 1: were needed so he could remove his bloodstoak clothing. And 549 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:11,000 Speaker 1: then Oscar Pistorius, the blade runner, the toast of the 550 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:17,560 Speaker 1: sports world, found himself handcuffed and charged with murder. Police 551 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 1: just couldn't see how Oscar's story added up. Why had 552 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:26,239 Speaker 1: Reva apparently locked herself in the bathroom. Why was a 553 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 1: duvet strewn on the floor in the bedroom indicating the 554 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:32,840 Speaker 1: couple had been arguing rather than in bed as Oscar claim. 555 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 1: Why did multiple neighbors say they heard arguing from the 556 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:40,960 Speaker 1: house before the gunshots. Oscar's account of what had happened 557 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:46,719 Speaker 1: was highly improbable, authority said, if not outright impossible. The 558 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 1: terrible crime was a pivotal moment that would spark a 559 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:54,160 Speaker 1: global media frenzy and televised court battles probing deep into 560 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:59,279 Speaker 1: issues of gun control, disability rights, and domestic violence. The 561 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:03,760 Speaker 1: once ce athlete Oscar Pistorius watched his career and public 562 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: image unravel overnight. The Steamkamp family mourned the loss of 563 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 1: their beloved, talented daughter, Reva, who had done absolutely nothing 564 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:18,279 Speaker 1: wrong yet had her entire future stolen. Join Me your host, 565 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: Jay Harris, as I swoll up and serve out the 566 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 1: rest of this tragic story next week on Playing Dirty 567 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:38,560 Speaker 1: Sports Scandal. Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of 568 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:43,120 Speaker 1: Dan Patrick Productions, Never Ever Productions, and Workhouse Media from 569 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:48,120 Speaker 1: executive producers Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, Maya Glickman, 570 00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:52,240 Speaker 1: and Jennifer Clary. Hosted by Jay Harris, Written and produced 571 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:56,320 Speaker 1: by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Claire.