Last summer, Oscar Pistorius had the world cheering for him to qualify and compete with able-bodied runners from around the world. If you remember the Olympics, and two weeks later the Paralympics, you remember the name Oscar Pistorius.
He was on top of the world with people adoring and pulling for him to do well since he was the first double-amputee to run track in the Olympics. There have been other athletes with various kinds of disabilities compete in the Olympics before, but never a sprinter on two artificial legs! His story is one of great inspiration and determination of what someone with a disability can do! He became a role model for many people with and without disabilities!
It seemed everyone wanted Oscar to do well. It turned out he was not fast enough to compete with the best in the world in the sprints; however, he stayed in London and competed in the Paralympics when he set new world records.
He became known as the Blade Runner. He qualified for the Semifinals in the 400 meter dash, and his team qualified for the finals in 4 x 400 meter relay. His performances catapulted him to one of the best-known Olympic athletes around the world.
According to numerous reports Oscar had a dark side and had been in trouble before. I choose not to take much credence in sensationalizing those types of articles. One never knows what goes through the mind of other people and how they handle their successes and failures.
As we all know from past experiences, stories like these can change from one day to the next. I imagine as more information comes out this one will change too!
What we do know is a beautiful young woman, Reeva Steenkamp, lies in a Pretoria morgue, and Oscar is waiting in a jail cell in Pretoria, South Africa waiting for his bail hearing on Tuesday.
What a tragedy for two young, talented, successful peoples lives to end in such a horrible manner. It it is just another example of how an instant in time can change everything.
As always, I look forward to your comments.
Later,
Mike
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Almost too tragic to talk about. Seems like his was such a heroic journey, brought him so much fame and riches. Most importantly, he was a country's hero and a role model for so many. Such a big collection of losses on so many levels, hard to take it all in.
Post a Comment