October 31, 2024 • 38 mins
The Blade Runner, Oscar Pistorius, symbolized overcoming all odds to achieve sports greatness as he made his way to the 2012 Olympics while running on prosthetic blade-like legs. But it all came crashing down when his girlfriend was shot and killed one night at his home in South Africa and Oscar was the one holding the gun. Join Jay Harris on this deep dive into a scandal that gripped the globe.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals. I'm your host,
Jay Harris, ready to serve up a story that's gripped
the entire world with its highs of human triumph and
low's steeped and terrible tragedy. Is it a palatable tale?
Absolutely not. But I know you crave bold blends and
it's my job to deliver up all the juicy details.
(00:37):
So drink up and that's gonna move on, because today
we need to keep pace with Oscar Pistorias, the South
African sprinter known as the blade Runner. Oscar Pistorias shattered
records and broke barriers by becoming the first amputee to
compete in both the Paralympics and the Olympics, running on
prosthetic blades that earned him both his nickname and a
(00:59):
place in sports history. But beneath the smile of this
celebrated athlete lay dangerous complexities that were destined to surface.
From day one, it was clear that Oscar Pistorius would
have obstacles to overcome. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on
(01:22):
November twenty second, nineteen eighty six, Oscar was born with
fibular hemomilia a rare congenital disorder that left him without
fibulas in both legs. The fibula runs between the knee
and ankle beside the tibia, and nowadays, children born with
fibular hem amelia typically undergo limb lengthening surgery as a
(01:44):
first course of treatment, but Oscar's parents, Hank and Sheila,
took doctor's recommendations to amputate both of his legs below
the knee when he was just eleven months old. This
severe surgery, taking place before his first birthday, would forever
impact the trajectory of Oscar Pistorius's life. Hank and Sheila
(02:04):
Pistorius initially provided great stability for Oscar and his two siblings,
an elder brother named Karl and a younger sister named Amy.
But despite the Pistorias family's proud Africana heritage infused with
steadfast Christian values and financial affluence, life in Johannesburg during
the nineteen eighties and nineteen nineties was tumultuous. South Africa
(02:27):
was transitioning from the oppressive regime of apartheid to a
fully democratic society. The era was marked by both intense
conflict and profound hope, with significant social and economic challenges.
Oscar's mother, Sheila, recognized the challenges of the time and
taught her children to face adversity head on. According to
(02:48):
The Daily Mail, she even penned a motivational note for
Oscar before his double amputation, with a message he would
be able to digest when he was older. It famously read,
the real loser is not the one who crosses the
finish line last. The real loser is the one who
sits on the side, the one who does not even
try to compete. Sheila's words would indeed resonate with her
(03:15):
son Oscar as he grew up in an uneasy society
and ultimately an uneasy home. By nineteen ninety two, when
Oscar was six years old, his parents, Hank and Shila Pastorius,
called it quits on their marriage. While it's unclear what
specifically precipitated their divorce, numerous news outlets, from International Business
(03:36):
Times UK to The Sun have since described Hank as
a party animal with a taste for young women, so
we can speculate that Hank's Christian values may have taken
a tumble when met with temptation. In any event, Hank
left Sheila, who was unprepared to raise three children as
a single mother. According to Nation reporter Jeff Anthony, Sheila
(03:57):
struggled in anguish as a single mother, raising Oscar and
his siblings Amy and Karl with barely enough cash flow.
She was terrified of crime and lived in agitation of
an intruder breaking into her home. This is because when
Hank left, she and the children moved to a smaller
home in a rougher neighborhood. There were several break ins,
(04:17):
to which Sheila responded by taking an extreme precaution of
sleeping with a loaded pistol under her pillow. Sheila also
battled with an inner grief from her divorce that led
to her solitary drinking. Her addiction led to a liver complication.
Watching his beloved mother's descent from a strong can do
figure to an always worried single parent would forever strain
(04:40):
Oscar's relationship with his father, Hank. Hank, meanwhile, was seemingly
unconcerned by his ex wife's and children's struggles. He relocated
himself seven hundred miles southeast of Johannesburg to the bustling
coastal city of Port Elizabeth. Hank would try to buy
favor with his children, purchasing things like a small speedboat
for them to use during visits. But Sheila was undoubtedly
(05:03):
Oscar's rock. Even as she faced her own demons, Shila
did her best to empower her children with strength. Oscar
would recall a story about a boy who ripped all
the buttons off his shirt at school. When he came
home that day, his mother told him not to let
it happen again. So when the boy ripped the buttons
(05:27):
off Oscar's shirt a second time, Oscar got into his
first fight. When Sila Pastorius was summoned by the headmaster,
she defended Oscar for fighting and then sent the shirt
to the boy's mother to sew the buttons back on.
My family always believed in standing up for yourself and
standing up for what you believe in, Oscar explained. We
(05:47):
were taught that you have got to cope. Part of
Oscar's coping strategy was undoubtedly his engagement with sports. From
his early school years at Constantia Koloff Primary School to
his early teens at the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School,
Oscar participated in athletics. Even with prosthetic legs, he played
on his school's rugby team, and between the ages of
(06:10):
eleven and thirteen, he even played tennis and water polo
at the provincial levels. But at age fifteen, while he
was thriving athletically and academically as a boarding student at
the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School, his foundation was shaken
with the news of his mother's sudden, life threatening illness.
(06:35):
Initially misdiagnosed with hepatitis, Shila's health took a terrible turn
when she received the wrong medical treatment. Realizing that Sheila
was declining precipitously, her friend Gillian Silcock rushed her to
the hospital and later told Ianca via The Epoch Times
that Sheila had had a brain hemorrhage at that point.
(06:56):
But she didn't go. She didn't let go and go
be with her dad in heavy until the boys, Oscar
and Carl got there. When her boys walked in, they
were able to see her and say goodbye, and she
waited because after a short period of time, fifteen minutes
or so, she went after her son's arrived. It was
(07:17):
March six, two thousand and two, and at just fifteen
years old, Oscar Pastorius said a final goodbye to his mother, Sheila,
who had always stood steadfastly by him and profoundly shaped
his upbringing. He would say a quiet prayer for her
before every competitive sports event for the rest of his life.
(07:39):
In the wake of his mother's death, Oscar doubled down
on his athletic pursuits. Sport was my salvation, as it
helped me get through this difficult time, Oscar Pistorius wrote,
my mother had been a strong woman, the center of
my world. Sporting activity was the only thing that could
distract me from such a loss. Oscar trained incredible hard.
(08:00):
In fact, one trainer, Jenny Brooks, recalled how Oscar used
his gym in Pretoria for six months boxing, skipping and
doing press ups before Jenny realized Oscar had no legs.
It was remarkable and a testament to how Shila Pastorius
had raised her son. Oscar was just one of the bunch,
Jenny said, doing everything in the gym at the same
(08:22):
pace as everybody else. But a year after Sheila's death,
hardship would strike Oscar yet again when he shattered his
knee on the rugby pitch. This was an injury from
which Oscar could not heal quickly. In fact, he was
now back under the care of the very same medics
who had carried out his amputations at eleven months old. However,
(08:44):
this period of enormous distress did come with a silver lining.
It was during his rehabilitation at the University of Pretoria's
High Performance Center that he was advised to take up
running to help his knee joint recover. And the timing
of this recommendation was kick because Chris Hadding, a longtime
family friend of the Pastorius and design engineer, was now
(09:06):
working for a US firm focused on developing new lighter prosthetics.
When Chris learned that Oscar had taken up running, he
invited him to the US to try the cutting edge
flex foot Cheeta blades, manufactured by Oscer, a company well
established for non invasive orthopedic braces. It was a game
changer for Oscar, as reported by the BBC, three weeks
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after taking up sprinting with the flex foot Cheetah blades,
Oscar Pistorius ran his first one hundred meter race. He
won the race in a time faster than any double
amputee had achieved before, eleven point seven to two seconds.
A star was born. Oscar quickly realized that pivoting to
(09:51):
sprinting was not just part of his physical rehabilitation, it
was his future. His unique running style and the sounds
of his artificial limbs hitting the synthetic rubber track became
symbolic of his resilience. Two thousand and four proved to
be a pivotal year for the now seventeen year old Oscar.
He burst onto the international scene at the Athens Paralympics,
(10:14):
where he won the gold medal in the two hundred
meters and set a new Paralympic record with the world
best time of twenty one point nine seven seconds. His
performance was more than a victory, It was a statement
to the world that disability did not define ability. It
was an Athens that Oscar gained the nickname which would
follow him evermore, blade Runner. Now. For many people, Oscar
(10:39):
the Blade Runner was an inspiration period, but for others,
his win at the Athens Paralympics sparked a broader controversy
about the intersection of technology, ability and competition. Oscar's use
of cutting edge prosthetic blades was viewed by some as
an unfair advantage, and so his signature blades become a
(11:01):
heated point of debate as he expressed his desire to
compete against able bodied athletes. If the blade legs did
provide such an advantage that some of the people are claiming,
Oscar argued, then there would be a lot of amputees
using the exact same prosthetic legs I have, running the
exact same times I have, And that's not the case.
(11:24):
And so ever, his mother's son, Oscar pushed naysayers to
the side and forged ahead with his ambition to compete
against able bodied athletes. His quest for parody would challenge
the norms and rules of international sports. In two thousand
and seven, for example, Oscar set his sights on competing
in the two thousand and eight Beijing Olympics. This was
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an unprecedented goal for a double amputee and necessitated challenging
the regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which
stipulated that his prosthetic limbs gave him an unfair advantage
over able bodied runners. Experts were divided. Some of them
thought Oscar's blades gave him the ability to move in
(12:08):
a way that no able bodied person could, while others
argued that the blades hindered him more than helped him.
In the end, however, science broke it down. The average
elite male sprinter moves his leg from back to front
in thirty seven hundreds of a second. The five most
recent world record holders in the one hundred metersh average
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thirty four hundreds of a second. Oscar Pistorius could swing
his leg in twenty eight hundreds of a second, largely
because his prosthetics were lighter than a regular human leg.
With his rivals swinging lower legs with an average weight
of five point seven kilograms versus his lower prosthetic weight
of two point four kilograms, Oscar did have an advantage
(12:52):
right wrong, because the blades didn't allow Oscar as much
force in pushing off between strides. This, it was argued,
was a disadvantage for Oscar that was more significant than
any potential limb weight advantage he gained when competing, and so,
(13:15):
after a series of legal battles and scientific tests, the
Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in Oscar Pistorius' favor.
In May two thousand and eight, CNN World Sports Don
Riddell described the ruling in Oscar Pistorius' favor as groundbreaking,
and he was right. It was undeniably an historic moment
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for sport, opening doors for future athletes with disabilities to
compete in mainstream events, and it was a huge moment
for Oscar Pistorius, whose international fame grew as his inspiring
story became known globally. Weeks after the Court of Arbitration
for Sport ruled in his favor, Oscar Pistorius was featured
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in the Time one hundred, which is Time magazine's list
to the world the world's most influential people, where he
was heralded for challenging perceptions of disability in sports. This
newfound prestige fueled Oscar's impact, turning him into an icon
for millions around the world. The only disability in life
is having a bad attitude. He equipped to the delight
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of people grappling with disability and adversity generally. Even though
Oscar Pistorius missed qualifying for the two thousand and eight
Beijing Olympics by seven tenths of a second, his tenacity
had made him a gold medalist in the court of
public opinion. While Oscar was disappointed to not qualify for
the Olympics, the two thousand and eight Beijing Paralympic Games
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were still in his sights. He competed in three events there,
the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred
meters Held at the Iconic Bird's Nest Stadium, these Paralympic
Games were a chance for Oscar to prove his medal
on the world stage once again, and he did not disappoint.
Oscar's performances were nothing short of spectacular. In the one
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hundred meters, Oscar Pistorius blazed through the track, winning gold
with a time of eleven point one seven seconds. In
the two hundred meters, he set a new Paralympic record,
clinching another gold with a time of twenty one point
sixty seven seconds. This victory highlighted his dominance in the
sprint events, and in the four hundred meters, Oscar kept
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off his Paralympic campaign with a third gold medal, finishing
in forty seven point four to nine seconds. Oscar Pistorius's
success at the two thousand and eight Paralympics solidified his
status as a trailblazer and celebrity in the world of athletics.
His achievements in Beijing were celebrated around the world, inspiring
(15:47):
countless individuals with disabilities to pursue their dreams. But Oscar's
Olympic dreams were still unfulfilled. His close but not quite
qualifying for the Able Bodied Olympics, no doubt, stung the
man hailed for his near herculean determination. Oscar threw himself
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into training, determined to qualify for the twenty twelve London
Olympic Games, even as his sponsorship deals and media appearances multiplied.
Tony Garrett, a Paralympic commentator, summed up the frenzied excitement
around the young sprinter Oscar, with his personality, athletic prowess
and the fact that he was trying to compete in
(16:30):
the able bodied Olympics made him the big breakthrough name
who brought sponsorship and Paralympic sport to the next level internationally,
Tony Garrett told the BBC, and Tony was right on
the mark. It was later revealed by Market Realist that
Oscar was earning approximately two million dollars a year, largely
derived from sponsorships. He was also earning accolades on the track,
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and ultimately all his hard work paid off. Oscar qualified
for the Olympics. On August fourth, twenty twelve. He made
history in London by becoming the first amputee sprinter to
compete at the Olympics by running in an opening heat
of the men's four hundred meter event. He finished second
in his heat with the season best time of forty
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five point four to four seconds, which advanced him to
the semifinals. It's just an unbelievable experience, Oscar said shortly
after his first Olympic race. I found myself smiling on
the starting blocks, which is very rare, and although he
finished last in the semifinal round with a time of
forty six point five to four seconds, what he achieved
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was remarkable. Five days later, Oscar's Olympics would continue with
the South African relay team's four by four hundred meter race.
On August ninth, twenty twelve, During the first semifinal, a
collision caused by Kenyon runner Vincent Keelu led to the
South African team's second leg runner of Fence Muggawane, falling
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to the track with a disc located left shoulder before
he could hand over to Oscar. South African officials acted promptly,
citing interference to the International Association of Athletics Federation or
IAAF and lodging an appeal. When the IAAF upheld this appeal,
Oscar was a static to have a renewed chance at
(18:21):
meddling in London. It's on, tweeted Oscar after the favorable
decision was announced by the Jury of appeal. We are
in the final. Team management protested as offence was taken
out and we have been given lane nine. While South
(18:41):
Africa finished eighth in a field of nine and Oscar
Pistorius did not ultimately medle in London, his participation at
the Olympics was a game changer for athletes with disabilities,
was a unifying moment for South Africans, regardless of their
political affiliations, and fulfilled his personal dream to comp speed
against the world's top able bodied runners. As a nod
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to his tremendous journey, Oscar was chosen to carry the
South African flag during the closing ceremony of the twenty
twelve Games, underscoring his personal role as a trailblazer and inspiration.
After the Olympic Games, twenty five year old Oscar Pistorius
was on top of the world. His endorsement shot up
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in price, with brands like Nike, Oakley and BT eager
to ink deals. Public speaking opportunities were endless, and he
advocated heavily for technological advancements and policy changes to promote
inclusion in sports at all levels. Everyone knew who he was.
Oscar Pistorius was a beloved man. The cracks first started
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to publicly show in Oscar Pistorius's facade of perfection at
the twenty twelve Summer Paralympics, which was also held in London.
Once again, Oscar demonstrated his exceptional athletic prowess, competing in
the four by one hundred meter relay as well as
the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred
meter races in the T four to four classification, which
(20:13):
is the sports classification which applies to athletes with single
below knee amputation or who can walk with moderately reduced
function in one or both legs. While Oscar dominated in
the four hundred meters, winning gold and setting a new
Paralympic record with a time of forty six point sixty
eight seconds, in the two hundred meters, he was defeated
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by Brazil's Alan Olivera, who also ran on blades. Faced
with losing to another blade runner, a stunned Oscar Pistorius
struck out publicly questioning the legitimacy of Alan Olivera's blade length.
Immediately after the race, he hit out at the International
Paralympic Committee for failing to act over the length of
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some athletes blades and to the public, it very much
seemed as though their golden boy was being a sore loser.
Oscar seemingly realized that his public image had taken a
hit because he tried to roll back his vitriol in
a statement to the Press Association Sport, saying I would
never want to detract from another athlete's moment of triumph,
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and I want to apologize for the timing of my
comments after yesterday's race. I do believe that there is
an issue here, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss
it with the International Paralympic Committee. But I accept that
raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track
was wrong. That was Allen's moment, and I would like
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to put on record the respect I have for him.
The International Paralympic Committee shot back quickly stating that all
athletes competing in the men's two hundred meter T forty
four final were checked by international classifiers in the call
room ahead of the race, All blades were within the
regulations outlined in the IPC Athletics Classification Handbook, and Alan
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Olivera himself expressed sadness that Oscar Pastorius had tarnished his
gold medal win, explaining that the two had frequently competed
and been friends prior to the two hundred meter race.
The situation between Oscar and I is grim, Allan confessed
to the BBC. Now Oscar passes me and does not
talk to me. Oscar's mood, while certainly not improved by
(22:30):
losing to Alan in the two hundred meter race at
the twenty twelve Paralympics, had generally soured as his fame grew.
Oscar's lifestyle and image changed, and clearly something got to
him and he wasn't the same person. There were so
many demands on his time. Commentator Tony Garrett recalled, I
think he let rip every so often, and he wouldn't
(22:52):
have done that a few years ago. Other people who
knew Oscar Pistorius agreed with Tony's assessment. Sports journalists Graham Jaffi,
for one, co owned a racehorse named Tiger Canyon with
Oscar and three others. The two had been acquainted for
thirteen years and Graham had always been impressed by Oscar's personality,
which he described as confident and friendly. But when Graham
(23:15):
met up with Oscar alongside the other racehorse owners in
twenty twelve, he noticed a clear shift in his demeanor.
I immediately thought there was something about Oscar that had changed.
Graham said, he was a different man to the one
I had interviewed so many times, in the sense that
he was a bit stand offish and a little bit cold,
not his usual warm self. He was showing a spoiled
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brat attitude that came out at the Paralympics in twenty
twelve when he embarrassed the country. And it wasn't just
Oscar's attitude that had become problematic. The famous printer had
also become increasingly reckless, as was evidenced by his dangerous
handling of a speedboat on the Vaar River, resulting in
(23:59):
a need for him to be airlifted, placed on a
ventilator and rushed into surgery. He recovered physically from that accident,
but his increased tendency towards danger continued to manifest in
an ever growing attraction to firearms. Oscar became a frequent
visitor to shooting ranges, and his social media often featured
(24:20):
photos and video clips of his sessions. In one such video,
Oscar was seen firing at a watermelon, which exploded as
the athlete hit it dead center. Then a voice which
sounds very much like Oscar's is heard saying it's not
as soft as brains, but it's a zombie stopper, as
his entourage shrieked with laughter. Now, some of oarguty was
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always probable for Oscar to develop a fixation with guns. First,
there were his memories of his mother, Sheila, always keeping
a gun close at hand for protection after his father
Hank left, And second, the reality is that guns are
part of life in South Africa. High crime rates make
personal security a significant concern for many citizens. According to
(25:08):
the BBC, there are more than two point seven million
legal gun owners in South Africa, which is roughly eight
percent of the adult population. Now, this statistic pales in
comparison to gun ownership in the Usa, which was at
thirty two percent of the adult population as of twenty
twenty three. But the big difference is that in South
(25:28):
Africa violent crime rates are significantly higher. Last year, there
were fifteen thousand, nine hundred and forty murders in South
Africa versus twelve thousand, nine hundred and ninety six murders
in the United States. When you're just those figures for population,
that put South Africa's murder rate per million people at
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three hundred and eighteen point eighty six versus the US
murder rate per million people at forty two point oh one.
That is a massive difference. Understanding that South Africa's bullet
heavy culture was ingrained in Oscar Pistorius is significant. He
(26:10):
was not an outlier for having a private arsenal and
engaging in routine shooting practice. In South Africa's climate of
heightened security concerns, it isn't at all uncommon for households
and especially households in wealthier neighborhoods such as the oscars,
to employ extensive security measures, including alarm systems, high fences,
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having guns on side at the ready, and professional armed
response services on call. Oscar had grown up in an
environment where fear loomed, and as his sprinting winds made
of a household name increased, career pressure and concerns about
personal safety may well have started to shake his pedestal
from the outside looking in. However, Oscar Pistorias seemed to
(26:54):
have found his anchor in November twenty twelve when he
started dating twenty nine year old model, reality TV star
in law graduate Reva steam Kemp. Reva had it all,
brain's beauty and a winning personality. Local media rushed to
compare their relationship to the likes of David and Victoria Beckham.
(27:14):
Reva was not arm candy for Oscar. She had her
own achievements and a promising future. Reva's friend from Port
Elizabeth's Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Carrie Smith, described Reva as
more than just a pretty face. She had a beautiful
heart and ambition. Carrie also said that Reva aspired to
use her legal degree to help women in abusive situations,
(27:37):
alleging that Reva had come out of an abusive relationship
with the jockey Wayne Agrella prior to dating Oscar. Now
Wayne Agrella has adamantly denied Carrie's claim, but Carrie told
the BBC that for Reva, I think with Wayne it
was mainly mental. I don't know that he was physically abusive,
but definitely emotionally abusive. When she was with Wayne, she
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all always felt she had to cover up. She would
always be on these fad diets with him. She lost
a lot of weight. It wasn't a healthy relationship. When
she moved to Johannesburg, we were grateful because it meant
she would be free from him. Was Carrie's assessment of
Reva's previous long term relationship accurate. Later, Revas Steenkamp's sister
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Simone would tell the Sydney Morning Herald the exact opposite,
saying that Reva didn't know anything about volatile relationships and fighting.
She was beautiful and much loved. She had had a
few boyfriends, and they remained close even after the romance
was over. Regardless of Reva's dating history, where differing accounts
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from her friends and family members make an objectively true
account elusive, one thing that cannot be denied is that
Oscar Pistorius's dating history was volatile, violent, and egregiously underreported.
According to Oscar's ex girl friend, Samantha Taylor, who dated
him for eighteen months before he cheated on her with Reva,
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Oscar would bite and pinch her, leaving her scarred and bruised.
He also allegedly locked her in his house with no food,
and on one occasion, because she was so frightened of
his temper, she hid his gun from it. According to
Reva Steinkamp's mother, June, even in the early days of
her daughter's relationship with Oscar Pastorius, Reva saw red flags.
(29:27):
As reported by The Guardian, Riva told Oscar on more
than one occasion that she was scared of him. Text
messages from Riva to Oscar included statements like I'm scared
of you sometimes and how you snap at me and
how you will react to me. Far from the glittering
lights of the star studded events they attended together, the
relationship between Oscar and Reva was becoming increasingly worrisome. According
(29:54):
to The Independent, there was a time when Riva called
her mother June on the phone, terrified to say that
Oscar was driving dangerously at one hundred and sixty one
miles per hour with her in the car, and Bussull
reported that according to junesteen Camp By month three of
the relationship, Reva was looking for a way out. In fact,
June told The Times that Riva had confided to me
(30:17):
that she hadn't slept with Oscar. They'd shared a bed,
but she was scared to take the relationship to that level.
She didn't want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn't sure.
June further noted that, in her opinion, as Riva's mother,
the relationship was done. In her heart of hearts, Reva
didn't think the relationship was making either of them happy,
(30:38):
but be that as it may. Oscar Pistorius had a
terrible temper, he didn't like to lose, and the situation
was a powder keg waiting to explode. February thirteenth, twenty thirteen,
allegedly began like any other day for Oscar Pistorius and
(30:58):
Riva steam Camp. They woke up in their mansion in
the prestigious gated Pretoria community silver Woods Estate. Reva was
preparing for a scheduled speech about empowering women. Oscar claims
to have spent his morning training. As night fell, the
couple allegedly decided to stay in for a quiet dinner
at home. There are no reports of visitors or unusual
(31:21):
activities at the home during the evening. Security footage and
electronic communications from the day indicate nothing whatsoever out of
the ordinary. Now this is where February thirteen, twenty thirteen, derails.
This is Oscar Pistorius's account of what happened. Oscar claims
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that by around ten PM, he and Reva were in
their bedroom, where she was practicing yoga and he was
watching television. He claims that his prosthetic legs were off,
as he generally slept without them. He arranged two fans
in the doorway lead heading out to the balcony because
their air conditioning wasn't working. They both fell asleep shortly thereafter.
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During the early morning hours of February fourteenth, Valentine's Day,
Oscar says he woke up because the bedroom was hot
and humid. Oscar claimed that Reva had also woken up
and asked him, you can't sleep, baba. Realizing that neither
of them would be able to sleep unless the room
was cooled down, Oscar says he got up without his
legs on and moved the fans from the balcony doorway
(32:30):
to inside the bedroom. He then pulled the curtains tight
to block a slim bit of light that was peeping through,
and moved Reva's jeans from the floor to cover a
small led light that was bothering him on an amplifier. However,
before he finished covering the led light, he heard the
sound of a window opening in the bathroom. Oscar claims
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that he believed the noise was from an intruder who
was in the house, possibly via a ladder to the window.
Still on his stumps, Oscar says he retrieved his gun
from beneath the left side of the bed. He claims
to have whispered to Riva to call the police, and
then moved into the hallway leading to the bathroom with
a gun pointed in front of him. Oscar says he
(33:14):
then leaned against the hallway wall for better stability on
his stumps. He yelled for the person to get out
of his house and yelled for Reva to call the police.
Oscar claims he felt vulnerable on his stumps and he
feared that someone was about to come out of the
bathroom when he heard the sound of wood moving and
thought the door was opening. He describes having been overcome
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with fear in this moment and reacted by firing four
shots in quick succession through the bathroom door. Due to
the close range gun shots, Oscar says his ears were
ringing and he was unable to hear anything. Then Oscar
retreated back down the hallway to the bed, still aiming
his gun at the bathroom and case it intruder emerged.
(34:01):
Oscar says he felt for Riva in the bed in
the dark and didn't find her there. He thought she
might be hiding on the floor or behind the curtains,
so he checked both places. This, Oscar says, was the
haunting moment when he first suspected that Riva may have
been in the bathroom. He described it as the moment
(34:21):
when everything changed. Oscar says he moved as quickly as
he could back to the bathroom door, still holding the gun,
and tried the doorknob. When he found the door was locked,
he says he went back to the bedroom, put on
his legs, opened the curtains to the balcony while screaming
for God to help him. Then, with his legs on,
(34:42):
he slammed into the bathroom door with his body. When
that was unsuccessful, Oscar says he got a cricket bat
and smashed a hole in the bathroom door so he
could reach in, pick up a key from the floor,
and let himself in. Once inside the bathroom, Oscar says
he discovered revastein Camp slumped over the toilet. He sat
(35:04):
over her and cried. Then he ran to the left
side of his bed to retrieve his phone and returned
to Reva's body, where he called a neighbor at three
nineteen am. At three twenty am, he phoned the ambulance service,
and at three twenty one am he called security at
his estate. Then Oscar Pastoria says he picked up revastein
(35:27):
Camp and took her downstairs near the front door. When
the neighbor arrived, Oscar had his fingers in Reva's mouth
to keep her airway open and a hand on her
hip to try and staunch the bleeding. When police and
paramedics arrived, they asked Oscar to move away from Riva
and wait in the kitchen. Soon after, a paramedic informed
(35:48):
Oscar that Reva was dead. Oscar next asked the police
if he could wash his bloody hands because the smell
was making him feel ill. About two hours hours later,
He requested that the police take whatever photos of him
were needed so he could remove his bloodstoak clothing. And
then Oscar Pistorius, the blade runner, the toast of the
(36:11):
sports world, found himself handcuffed and charged with murder. Police
just couldn't see how Oscar's story added up. Why had
Reva apparently locked herself in the bathroom. Why was a
duvet strewn on the floor in the bedroom indicating the
couple had been arguing rather than in bed as Oscar claim.
(36:33):
Why did multiple neighbors say they heard arguing from the
house before the gunshots. Oscar's account of what had happened
was highly improbable, authority said, if not outright impossible. The
terrible crime was a pivotal moment that would spark a
global media frenzy and televised court battles probing deep into
(36:54):
issues of gun control, disability rights, and domestic violence. The
once ce athlete Oscar Pistorius watched his career and public
image unravel overnight. The Steamkamp family mourned the loss of
their beloved, talented daughter, Reva, who had done absolutely nothing
wrong yet had her entire future stolen. Join Me your host,
(37:18):
Jay Harris, as I swoll up and serve out the
rest of this tragic story next week on Playing Dirty
Sports Scandal. Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of
(37:38):
Dan Patrick Productions, Never Ever Productions, and Workhouse Media from
executive producers Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, Maya Glickman,
and Jennifer Clary. Hosted by Jay Harris, Written and produced
by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Claire.
Welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals. I'm your host,
Jay Harris, ready to serve up a story that's gripped
the entire world with its highs of human triumph and
low's steeped and terrible tragedy. Is it a palatable tale?
Absolutely not. But I know you crave bold blends and
it's my job to deliver up all the juicy details.
(00:37):
So drink up and that's gonna move on, because today
we need to keep pace with Oscar Pistorias, the South
African sprinter known as the blade Runner. Oscar Pistorias shattered
records and broke barriers by becoming the first amputee to
compete in both the Paralympics and the Olympics, running on
prosthetic blades that earned him both his nickname and a
(00:59):
place in sports history. But beneath the smile of this
celebrated athlete lay dangerous complexities that were destined to surface.
From day one, it was clear that Oscar Pistorius would
have obstacles to overcome. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on
(01:22):
November twenty second, nineteen eighty six, Oscar was born with
fibular hemomilia a rare congenital disorder that left him without
fibulas in both legs. The fibula runs between the knee
and ankle beside the tibia, and nowadays, children born with
fibular hem amelia typically undergo limb lengthening surgery as a
(01:44):
first course of treatment, but Oscar's parents, Hank and Sheila,
took doctor's recommendations to amputate both of his legs below
the knee when he was just eleven months old. This
severe surgery, taking place before his first birthday, would forever
impact the trajectory of Oscar Pistorius's life. Hank and Sheila
(02:04):
Pistorius initially provided great stability for Oscar and his two siblings,
an elder brother named Karl and a younger sister named Amy.
But despite the Pistorias family's proud Africana heritage infused with
steadfast Christian values and financial affluence, life in Johannesburg during
the nineteen eighties and nineteen nineties was tumultuous. South Africa
(02:27):
was transitioning from the oppressive regime of apartheid to a
fully democratic society. The era was marked by both intense
conflict and profound hope, with significant social and economic challenges.
Oscar's mother, Sheila, recognized the challenges of the time and
taught her children to face adversity head on. According to
(02:48):
The Daily Mail, she even penned a motivational note for
Oscar before his double amputation, with a message he would
be able to digest when he was older. It famously read,
the real loser is not the one who crosses the
finish line last. The real loser is the one who
sits on the side, the one who does not even
try to compete. Sheila's words would indeed resonate with her
(03:15):
son Oscar as he grew up in an uneasy society
and ultimately an uneasy home. By nineteen ninety two, when
Oscar was six years old, his parents, Hank and Shila Pastorius,
called it quits on their marriage. While it's unclear what
specifically precipitated their divorce, numerous news outlets, from International Business
(03:36):
Times UK to The Sun have since described Hank as
a party animal with a taste for young women, so
we can speculate that Hank's Christian values may have taken
a tumble when met with temptation. In any event, Hank
left Sheila, who was unprepared to raise three children as
a single mother. According to Nation reporter Jeff Anthony, Sheila
(03:57):
struggled in anguish as a single mother, raising Oscar and
his siblings Amy and Karl with barely enough cash flow.
She was terrified of crime and lived in agitation of
an intruder breaking into her home. This is because when
Hank left, she and the children moved to a smaller
home in a rougher neighborhood. There were several break ins,
(04:17):
to which Sheila responded by taking an extreme precaution of
sleeping with a loaded pistol under her pillow. Sheila also
battled with an inner grief from her divorce that led
to her solitary drinking. Her addiction led to a liver complication.
Watching his beloved mother's descent from a strong can do
figure to an always worried single parent would forever strain
(04:40):
Oscar's relationship with his father, Hank. Hank, meanwhile, was seemingly
unconcerned by his ex wife's and children's struggles. He relocated
himself seven hundred miles southeast of Johannesburg to the bustling
coastal city of Port Elizabeth. Hank would try to buy
favor with his children, purchasing things like a small speedboat
for them to use during visits. But Sheila was undoubtedly
(05:03):
Oscar's rock. Even as she faced her own demons, Shila
did her best to empower her children with strength. Oscar
would recall a story about a boy who ripped all
the buttons off his shirt at school. When he came
home that day, his mother told him not to let
it happen again. So when the boy ripped the buttons
(05:27):
off Oscar's shirt a second time, Oscar got into his
first fight. When Sila Pastorius was summoned by the headmaster,
she defended Oscar for fighting and then sent the shirt
to the boy's mother to sew the buttons back on.
My family always believed in standing up for yourself and
standing up for what you believe in, Oscar explained. We
(05:47):
were taught that you have got to cope. Part of
Oscar's coping strategy was undoubtedly his engagement with sports. From
his early school years at Constantia Koloff Primary School to
his early teens at the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School,
Oscar participated in athletics. Even with prosthetic legs, he played
on his school's rugby team, and between the ages of
(06:10):
eleven and thirteen, he even played tennis and water polo
at the provincial levels. But at age fifteen, while he
was thriving athletically and academically as a boarding student at
the prestigious Pretoria Boys High School, his foundation was shaken
with the news of his mother's sudden, life threatening illness.
(06:35):
Initially misdiagnosed with hepatitis, Shila's health took a terrible turn
when she received the wrong medical treatment. Realizing that Sheila
was declining precipitously, her friend Gillian Silcock rushed her to
the hospital and later told Ianca via The Epoch Times
that Sheila had had a brain hemorrhage at that point.
(06:56):
But she didn't go. She didn't let go and go
be with her dad in heavy until the boys, Oscar
and Carl got there. When her boys walked in, they
were able to see her and say goodbye, and she
waited because after a short period of time, fifteen minutes
or so, she went after her son's arrived. It was
(07:17):
March six, two thousand and two, and at just fifteen
years old, Oscar Pastorius said a final goodbye to his mother, Sheila,
who had always stood steadfastly by him and profoundly shaped
his upbringing. He would say a quiet prayer for her
before every competitive sports event for the rest of his life.
(07:39):
In the wake of his mother's death, Oscar doubled down
on his athletic pursuits. Sport was my salvation, as it
helped me get through this difficult time, Oscar Pistorius wrote,
my mother had been a strong woman, the center of
my world. Sporting activity was the only thing that could
distract me from such a loss. Oscar trained incredible hard.
(08:00):
In fact, one trainer, Jenny Brooks, recalled how Oscar used
his gym in Pretoria for six months boxing, skipping and
doing press ups before Jenny realized Oscar had no legs.
It was remarkable and a testament to how Shila Pastorius
had raised her son. Oscar was just one of the bunch,
Jenny said, doing everything in the gym at the same
(08:22):
pace as everybody else. But a year after Sheila's death,
hardship would strike Oscar yet again when he shattered his
knee on the rugby pitch. This was an injury from
which Oscar could not heal quickly. In fact, he was
now back under the care of the very same medics
who had carried out his amputations at eleven months old. However,
(08:44):
this period of enormous distress did come with a silver lining.
It was during his rehabilitation at the University of Pretoria's
High Performance Center that he was advised to take up
running to help his knee joint recover. And the timing
of this recommendation was kick because Chris Hadding, a longtime
family friend of the Pastorius and design engineer, was now
(09:06):
working for a US firm focused on developing new lighter prosthetics.
When Chris learned that Oscar had taken up running, he
invited him to the US to try the cutting edge
flex foot Cheeta blades, manufactured by Oscer, a company well
established for non invasive orthopedic braces. It was a game
changer for Oscar, as reported by the BBC, three weeks
(09:31):
after taking up sprinting with the flex foot Cheetah blades,
Oscar Pistorius ran his first one hundred meter race. He
won the race in a time faster than any double
amputee had achieved before, eleven point seven to two seconds.
A star was born. Oscar quickly realized that pivoting to
(09:51):
sprinting was not just part of his physical rehabilitation, it
was his future. His unique running style and the sounds
of his artificial limbs hitting the synthetic rubber track became
symbolic of his resilience. Two thousand and four proved to
be a pivotal year for the now seventeen year old Oscar.
He burst onto the international scene at the Athens Paralympics,
(10:14):
where he won the gold medal in the two hundred
meters and set a new Paralympic record with the world
best time of twenty one point nine seven seconds. His
performance was more than a victory, It was a statement
to the world that disability did not define ability. It
was an Athens that Oscar gained the nickname which would
follow him evermore, blade Runner. Now. For many people, Oscar
(10:39):
the Blade Runner was an inspiration period, but for others,
his win at the Athens Paralympics sparked a broader controversy
about the intersection of technology, ability and competition. Oscar's use
of cutting edge prosthetic blades was viewed by some as
an unfair advantage, and so his signature blades become a
(11:01):
heated point of debate as he expressed his desire to
compete against able bodied athletes. If the blade legs did
provide such an advantage that some of the people are claiming,
Oscar argued, then there would be a lot of amputees
using the exact same prosthetic legs I have, running the
exact same times I have, And that's not the case.
(11:24):
And so ever, his mother's son, Oscar pushed naysayers to
the side and forged ahead with his ambition to compete
against able bodied athletes. His quest for parody would challenge
the norms and rules of international sports. In two thousand
and seven, for example, Oscar set his sights on competing
in the two thousand and eight Beijing Olympics. This was
(11:46):
an unprecedented goal for a double amputee and necessitated challenging
the regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which
stipulated that his prosthetic limbs gave him an unfair advantage
over able bodied runners. Experts were divided. Some of them
thought Oscar's blades gave him the ability to move in
(12:08):
a way that no able bodied person could, while others
argued that the blades hindered him more than helped him.
In the end, however, science broke it down. The average
elite male sprinter moves his leg from back to front
in thirty seven hundreds of a second. The five most
recent world record holders in the one hundred metersh average
(12:28):
thirty four hundreds of a second. Oscar Pistorius could swing
his leg in twenty eight hundreds of a second, largely
because his prosthetics were lighter than a regular human leg.
With his rivals swinging lower legs with an average weight
of five point seven kilograms versus his lower prosthetic weight
of two point four kilograms, Oscar did have an advantage
(12:52):
right wrong, because the blades didn't allow Oscar as much
force in pushing off between strides. This, it was argued,
was a disadvantage for Oscar that was more significant than
any potential limb weight advantage he gained when competing, and so,
(13:15):
after a series of legal battles and scientific tests, the
Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in Oscar Pistorius' favor.
In May two thousand and eight, CNN World Sports Don
Riddell described the ruling in Oscar Pistorius' favor as groundbreaking,
and he was right. It was undeniably an historic moment
(13:35):
for sport, opening doors for future athletes with disabilities to
compete in mainstream events, and it was a huge moment
for Oscar Pistorius, whose international fame grew as his inspiring
story became known globally. Weeks after the Court of Arbitration
for Sport ruled in his favor, Oscar Pistorius was featured
(13:56):
in the Time one hundred, which is Time magazine's list
to the world the world's most influential people, where he
was heralded for challenging perceptions of disability in sports. This
newfound prestige fueled Oscar's impact, turning him into an icon
for millions around the world. The only disability in life
is having a bad attitude. He equipped to the delight
(14:18):
of people grappling with disability and adversity generally. Even though
Oscar Pistorius missed qualifying for the two thousand and eight
Beijing Olympics by seven tenths of a second, his tenacity
had made him a gold medalist in the court of
public opinion. While Oscar was disappointed to not qualify for
the Olympics, the two thousand and eight Beijing Paralympic Games
(14:40):
were still in his sights. He competed in three events there,
the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred
meters Held at the Iconic Bird's Nest Stadium, these Paralympic
Games were a chance for Oscar to prove his medal
on the world stage once again, and he did not disappoint.
Oscar's performances were nothing short of spectacular. In the one
(15:05):
hundred meters, Oscar Pistorius blazed through the track, winning gold
with a time of eleven point one seven seconds. In
the two hundred meters, he set a new Paralympic record,
clinching another gold with a time of twenty one point
sixty seven seconds. This victory highlighted his dominance in the
sprint events, and in the four hundred meters, Oscar kept
(15:26):
off his Paralympic campaign with a third gold medal, finishing
in forty seven point four to nine seconds. Oscar Pistorius's
success at the two thousand and eight Paralympics solidified his
status as a trailblazer and celebrity in the world of athletics.
His achievements in Beijing were celebrated around the world, inspiring
(15:47):
countless individuals with disabilities to pursue their dreams. But Oscar's
Olympic dreams were still unfulfilled. His close but not quite
qualifying for the Able Bodied Olympics, no doubt, stung the
man hailed for his near herculean determination. Oscar threw himself
(16:10):
into training, determined to qualify for the twenty twelve London
Olympic Games, even as his sponsorship deals and media appearances multiplied.
Tony Garrett, a Paralympic commentator, summed up the frenzied excitement
around the young sprinter Oscar, with his personality, athletic prowess
and the fact that he was trying to compete in
(16:30):
the able bodied Olympics made him the big breakthrough name
who brought sponsorship and Paralympic sport to the next level internationally,
Tony Garrett told the BBC, and Tony was right on
the mark. It was later revealed by Market Realist that
Oscar was earning approximately two million dollars a year, largely
derived from sponsorships. He was also earning accolades on the track,
(16:55):
and ultimately all his hard work paid off. Oscar qualified
for the Olympics. On August fourth, twenty twelve. He made
history in London by becoming the first amputee sprinter to
compete at the Olympics by running in an opening heat
of the men's four hundred meter event. He finished second
in his heat with the season best time of forty
(17:17):
five point four to four seconds, which advanced him to
the semifinals. It's just an unbelievable experience, Oscar said shortly
after his first Olympic race. I found myself smiling on
the starting blocks, which is very rare, and although he
finished last in the semifinal round with a time of
forty six point five to four seconds, what he achieved
(17:38):
was remarkable. Five days later, Oscar's Olympics would continue with
the South African relay team's four by four hundred meter race.
On August ninth, twenty twelve, During the first semifinal, a
collision caused by Kenyon runner Vincent Keelu led to the
South African team's second leg runner of Fence Muggawane, falling
(17:58):
to the track with a disc located left shoulder before
he could hand over to Oscar. South African officials acted promptly,
citing interference to the International Association of Athletics Federation or
IAAF and lodging an appeal. When the IAAF upheld this appeal,
Oscar was a static to have a renewed chance at
(18:21):
meddling in London. It's on, tweeted Oscar after the favorable
decision was announced by the Jury of appeal. We are
in the final. Team management protested as offence was taken
out and we have been given lane nine. While South
(18:41):
Africa finished eighth in a field of nine and Oscar
Pistorius did not ultimately medle in London, his participation at
the Olympics was a game changer for athletes with disabilities,
was a unifying moment for South Africans, regardless of their
political affiliations, and fulfilled his personal dream to comp speed
against the world's top able bodied runners. As a nod
(19:04):
to his tremendous journey, Oscar was chosen to carry the
South African flag during the closing ceremony of the twenty
twelve Games, underscoring his personal role as a trailblazer and inspiration.
After the Olympic Games, twenty five year old Oscar Pistorius
was on top of the world. His endorsement shot up
(19:24):
in price, with brands like Nike, Oakley and BT eager
to ink deals. Public speaking opportunities were endless, and he
advocated heavily for technological advancements and policy changes to promote
inclusion in sports at all levels. Everyone knew who he was.
Oscar Pistorius was a beloved man. The cracks first started
(19:50):
to publicly show in Oscar Pistorius's facade of perfection at
the twenty twelve Summer Paralympics, which was also held in London.
Once again, Oscar demonstrated his exceptional athletic prowess, competing in
the four by one hundred meter relay as well as
the one hundred meters, two hundred meters and four hundred
meter races in the T four to four classification, which
(20:13):
is the sports classification which applies to athletes with single
below knee amputation or who can walk with moderately reduced
function in one or both legs. While Oscar dominated in
the four hundred meters, winning gold and setting a new
Paralympic record with a time of forty six point sixty
eight seconds, in the two hundred meters, he was defeated
(20:35):
by Brazil's Alan Olivera, who also ran on blades. Faced
with losing to another blade runner, a stunned Oscar Pistorius
struck out publicly questioning the legitimacy of Alan Olivera's blade length.
Immediately after the race, he hit out at the International
Paralympic Committee for failing to act over the length of
(20:56):
some athletes blades and to the public, it very much
seemed as though their golden boy was being a sore loser.
Oscar seemingly realized that his public image had taken a
hit because he tried to roll back his vitriol in
a statement to the Press Association Sport, saying I would
never want to detract from another athlete's moment of triumph,
(21:17):
and I want to apologize for the timing of my
comments after yesterday's race. I do believe that there is
an issue here, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss
it with the International Paralympic Committee. But I accept that
raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track
was wrong. That was Allen's moment, and I would like
(21:37):
to put on record the respect I have for him.
The International Paralympic Committee shot back quickly stating that all
athletes competing in the men's two hundred meter T forty
four final were checked by international classifiers in the call
room ahead of the race, All blades were within the
regulations outlined in the IPC Athletics Classification Handbook, and Alan
(22:02):
Olivera himself expressed sadness that Oscar Pastorius had tarnished his
gold medal win, explaining that the two had frequently competed
and been friends prior to the two hundred meter race.
The situation between Oscar and I is grim, Allan confessed
to the BBC. Now Oscar passes me and does not
talk to me. Oscar's mood, while certainly not improved by
(22:30):
losing to Alan in the two hundred meter race at
the twenty twelve Paralympics, had generally soured as his fame grew.
Oscar's lifestyle and image changed, and clearly something got to
him and he wasn't the same person. There were so
many demands on his time. Commentator Tony Garrett recalled, I
think he let rip every so often, and he wouldn't
(22:52):
have done that a few years ago. Other people who
knew Oscar Pistorius agreed with Tony's assessment. Sports journalists Graham Jaffi,
for one, co owned a racehorse named Tiger Canyon with
Oscar and three others. The two had been acquainted for
thirteen years and Graham had always been impressed by Oscar's personality,
which he described as confident and friendly. But when Graham
(23:15):
met up with Oscar alongside the other racehorse owners in
twenty twelve, he noticed a clear shift in his demeanor.
I immediately thought there was something about Oscar that had changed.
Graham said, he was a different man to the one
I had interviewed so many times, in the sense that
he was a bit stand offish and a little bit cold,
not his usual warm self. He was showing a spoiled
(23:38):
brat attitude that came out at the Paralympics in twenty
twelve when he embarrassed the country. And it wasn't just
Oscar's attitude that had become problematic. The famous printer had
also become increasingly reckless, as was evidenced by his dangerous
handling of a speedboat on the Vaar River, resulting in
(23:59):
a need for him to be airlifted, placed on a
ventilator and rushed into surgery. He recovered physically from that accident,
but his increased tendency towards danger continued to manifest in
an ever growing attraction to firearms. Oscar became a frequent
visitor to shooting ranges, and his social media often featured
(24:20):
photos and video clips of his sessions. In one such video,
Oscar was seen firing at a watermelon, which exploded as
the athlete hit it dead center. Then a voice which
sounds very much like Oscar's is heard saying it's not
as soft as brains, but it's a zombie stopper, as
his entourage shrieked with laughter. Now, some of oarguty was
(24:44):
always probable for Oscar to develop a fixation with guns. First,
there were his memories of his mother, Sheila, always keeping
a gun close at hand for protection after his father
Hank left, And second, the reality is that guns are
part of life in South Africa. High crime rates make
personal security a significant concern for many citizens. According to
(25:08):
the BBC, there are more than two point seven million
legal gun owners in South Africa, which is roughly eight
percent of the adult population. Now, this statistic pales in
comparison to gun ownership in the Usa, which was at
thirty two percent of the adult population as of twenty
twenty three. But the big difference is that in South
(25:28):
Africa violent crime rates are significantly higher. Last year, there
were fifteen thousand, nine hundred and forty murders in South
Africa versus twelve thousand, nine hundred and ninety six murders
in the United States. When you're just those figures for population,
that put South Africa's murder rate per million people at
(25:49):
three hundred and eighteen point eighty six versus the US
murder rate per million people at forty two point oh one.
That is a massive difference. Understanding that South Africa's bullet
heavy culture was ingrained in Oscar Pistorius is significant. He
(26:10):
was not an outlier for having a private arsenal and
engaging in routine shooting practice. In South Africa's climate of
heightened security concerns, it isn't at all uncommon for households
and especially households in wealthier neighborhoods such as the oscars,
to employ extensive security measures, including alarm systems, high fences,
(26:31):
having guns on side at the ready, and professional armed
response services on call. Oscar had grown up in an
environment where fear loomed, and as his sprinting winds made
of a household name increased, career pressure and concerns about
personal safety may well have started to shake his pedestal
from the outside looking in. However, Oscar Pistorias seemed to
(26:54):
have found his anchor in November twenty twelve when he
started dating twenty nine year old model, reality TV star
in law graduate Reva steam Kemp. Reva had it all,
brain's beauty and a winning personality. Local media rushed to
compare their relationship to the likes of David and Victoria Beckham.
(27:14):
Reva was not arm candy for Oscar. She had her
own achievements and a promising future. Reva's friend from Port
Elizabeth's Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Carrie Smith, described Reva as
more than just a pretty face. She had a beautiful
heart and ambition. Carrie also said that Reva aspired to
use her legal degree to help women in abusive situations,
(27:37):
alleging that Reva had come out of an abusive relationship
with the jockey Wayne Agrella prior to dating Oscar. Now
Wayne Agrella has adamantly denied Carrie's claim, but Carrie told
the BBC that for Reva, I think with Wayne it
was mainly mental. I don't know that he was physically abusive,
but definitely emotionally abusive. When she was with Wayne, she
(27:59):
all always felt she had to cover up. She would
always be on these fad diets with him. She lost
a lot of weight. It wasn't a healthy relationship. When
she moved to Johannesburg, we were grateful because it meant
she would be free from him. Was Carrie's assessment of
Reva's previous long term relationship accurate. Later, Revas Steenkamp's sister
(28:21):
Simone would tell the Sydney Morning Herald the exact opposite,
saying that Reva didn't know anything about volatile relationships and fighting.
She was beautiful and much loved. She had had a
few boyfriends, and they remained close even after the romance
was over. Regardless of Reva's dating history, where differing accounts
(28:44):
from her friends and family members make an objectively true
account elusive, one thing that cannot be denied is that
Oscar Pistorius's dating history was volatile, violent, and egregiously underreported.
According to Oscar's ex girl friend, Samantha Taylor, who dated
him for eighteen months before he cheated on her with Reva,
(29:05):
Oscar would bite and pinch her, leaving her scarred and bruised.
He also allegedly locked her in his house with no food,
and on one occasion, because she was so frightened of
his temper, she hid his gun from it. According to
Reva Steinkamp's mother, June, even in the early days of
her daughter's relationship with Oscar Pastorius, Reva saw red flags.
(29:27):
As reported by The Guardian, Riva told Oscar on more
than one occasion that she was scared of him. Text
messages from Riva to Oscar included statements like I'm scared
of you sometimes and how you snap at me and
how you will react to me. Far from the glittering
lights of the star studded events they attended together, the
relationship between Oscar and Reva was becoming increasingly worrisome. According
(29:54):
to The Independent, there was a time when Riva called
her mother June on the phone, terrified to say that
Oscar was driving dangerously at one hundred and sixty one
miles per hour with her in the car, and Bussull
reported that according to junesteen Camp By month three of
the relationship, Reva was looking for a way out. In fact,
June told The Times that Riva had confided to me
(30:17):
that she hadn't slept with Oscar. They'd shared a bed,
but she was scared to take the relationship to that level.
She didn't want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn't sure.
June further noted that, in her opinion, as Riva's mother,
the relationship was done. In her heart of hearts, Reva
didn't think the relationship was making either of them happy,
(30:38):
but be that as it may. Oscar Pistorius had a
terrible temper, he didn't like to lose, and the situation
was a powder keg waiting to explode. February thirteenth, twenty thirteen,
allegedly began like any other day for Oscar Pistorius and
(30:58):
Riva steam Camp. They woke up in their mansion in
the prestigious gated Pretoria community silver Woods Estate. Reva was
preparing for a scheduled speech about empowering women. Oscar claims
to have spent his morning training. As night fell, the
couple allegedly decided to stay in for a quiet dinner
at home. There are no reports of visitors or unusual
(31:21):
activities at the home during the evening. Security footage and
electronic communications from the day indicate nothing whatsoever out of
the ordinary. Now this is where February thirteen, twenty thirteen, derails.
This is Oscar Pistorius's account of what happened. Oscar claims
(31:44):
that by around ten PM, he and Reva were in
their bedroom, where she was practicing yoga and he was
watching television. He claims that his prosthetic legs were off,
as he generally slept without them. He arranged two fans
in the doorway lead heading out to the balcony because
their air conditioning wasn't working. They both fell asleep shortly thereafter.
(32:07):
During the early morning hours of February fourteenth, Valentine's Day,
Oscar says he woke up because the bedroom was hot
and humid. Oscar claimed that Reva had also woken up
and asked him, you can't sleep, baba. Realizing that neither
of them would be able to sleep unless the room
was cooled down, Oscar says he got up without his
legs on and moved the fans from the balcony doorway
(32:30):
to inside the bedroom. He then pulled the curtains tight
to block a slim bit of light that was peeping through,
and moved Reva's jeans from the floor to cover a
small led light that was bothering him on an amplifier. However,
before he finished covering the led light, he heard the
sound of a window opening in the bathroom. Oscar claims
(32:52):
that he believed the noise was from an intruder who
was in the house, possibly via a ladder to the window.
Still on his stumps, Oscar says he retrieved his gun
from beneath the left side of the bed. He claims
to have whispered to Riva to call the police, and
then moved into the hallway leading to the bathroom with
a gun pointed in front of him. Oscar says he
(33:14):
then leaned against the hallway wall for better stability on
his stumps. He yelled for the person to get out
of his house and yelled for Reva to call the police.
Oscar claims he felt vulnerable on his stumps and he
feared that someone was about to come out of the
bathroom when he heard the sound of wood moving and
thought the door was opening. He describes having been overcome
(33:38):
with fear in this moment and reacted by firing four
shots in quick succession through the bathroom door. Due to
the close range gun shots, Oscar says his ears were
ringing and he was unable to hear anything. Then Oscar
retreated back down the hallway to the bed, still aiming
his gun at the bathroom and case it intruder emerged.
(34:01):
Oscar says he felt for Riva in the bed in
the dark and didn't find her there. He thought she
might be hiding on the floor or behind the curtains,
so he checked both places. This, Oscar says, was the
haunting moment when he first suspected that Riva may have
been in the bathroom. He described it as the moment
(34:21):
when everything changed. Oscar says he moved as quickly as
he could back to the bathroom door, still holding the gun,
and tried the doorknob. When he found the door was locked,
he says he went back to the bedroom, put on
his legs, opened the curtains to the balcony while screaming
for God to help him. Then, with his legs on,
(34:42):
he slammed into the bathroom door with his body. When
that was unsuccessful, Oscar says he got a cricket bat
and smashed a hole in the bathroom door so he
could reach in, pick up a key from the floor,
and let himself in. Once inside the bathroom, Oscar says
he discovered revastein Camp slumped over the toilet. He sat
(35:04):
over her and cried. Then he ran to the left
side of his bed to retrieve his phone and returned
to Reva's body, where he called a neighbor at three
nineteen am. At three twenty am, he phoned the ambulance service,
and at three twenty one am he called security at
his estate. Then Oscar Pastoria says he picked up revastein
(35:27):
Camp and took her downstairs near the front door. When
the neighbor arrived, Oscar had his fingers in Reva's mouth
to keep her airway open and a hand on her
hip to try and staunch the bleeding. When police and
paramedics arrived, they asked Oscar to move away from Riva
and wait in the kitchen. Soon after, a paramedic informed
(35:48):
Oscar that Reva was dead. Oscar next asked the police
if he could wash his bloody hands because the smell
was making him feel ill. About two hours hours later,
He requested that the police take whatever photos of him
were needed so he could remove his bloodstoak clothing. And
then Oscar Pistorius, the blade runner, the toast of the
(36:11):
sports world, found himself handcuffed and charged with murder. Police
just couldn't see how Oscar's story added up. Why had
Reva apparently locked herself in the bathroom. Why was a
duvet strewn on the floor in the bedroom indicating the
couple had been arguing rather than in bed as Oscar claim.
(36:33):
Why did multiple neighbors say they heard arguing from the
house before the gunshots. Oscar's account of what had happened
was highly improbable, authority said, if not outright impossible. The
terrible crime was a pivotal moment that would spark a
global media frenzy and televised court battles probing deep into
(36:54):
issues of gun control, disability rights, and domestic violence. The
once ce athlete Oscar Pistorius watched his career and public
image unravel overnight. The Steamkamp family mourned the loss of
their beloved, talented daughter, Reva, who had done absolutely nothing
wrong yet had her entire future stolen. Join Me your host,
(37:18):
Jay Harris, as I swoll up and serve out the
rest of this tragic story next week on Playing Dirty
Sports Scandal. Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of
(37:38):
Dan Patrick Productions, Never Ever Productions, and Workhouse Media from
executive producers Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, Maya Glickman,
and Jennifer Clary. Hosted by Jay Harris, Written and produced
by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Claire.
Host
Jay Harris
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