Oscar Pistorius bio: Age, family, trial, Barry Roux, awards, net worth, where is he now?
Oscar Pistorius is a renowned South African sprint runner. He rose to fame in 2012 after making history for being the first amputee to finish in track events during the Olympics. He was also termed guilty for the murder of his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.
Source: UGC
Not so many people would take up a normal life even with disabilities. Despite being an amputee on both legs, Oscar has done exceedingly well in life by trying out and excelling in different sporting activities. His success is evident in the number of awards and achievements in his name.
Oscar Pistorius profile summary
- Full name: Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius
- Date of birth: 22nd November 1986
- Place of birth: Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng
- Birth sign: Sagittarius
- Height: 6 feet 1 inch
- Weight: 81 kg
- Marital status: Single
- Oscar Pistorius siblings: Carl, Aimee
- Profession: Former sprint runner
- Net worth: $50,000
Biography
Oscar was born on 22nd November 1986 in Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng in South Africa. He was born to Henk and Sheila Pistorius. His physical health was tainted at birth as he was born without a fibula in his two legs. Oscar Pistorius parents were faced with the challenging task of deciding to have the legs of their son amputated below his knees just a month before celebrating his first birthday.
He joined the Constantia Kloof Primary School before enrolling at Pretoria Boys High School. In high school, Oscar played rugby union in the school’s third XV team. He also took part in numerous other sporting activities such as tennis, water polo, and wrestling. He trained at Jannie Brook’s garage gym in Pretoria.
In 2003, he had a severe knee injury while playing rugby and was forced to quit the sport. In January 2004, he was introduced to running while still undergoing rehabilitation with Coach Ampie Louw at the University of Pretoria's High-Performance Centre. He had his racing blades fitted by Brian Frasure, an American prosthetist and Paralympic sprinter from the Icelandic company Ossur.
In 2006, Oscar began studying at the University of Pretoria when he undertook a course in Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management with Sports Science.
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Career
Oscar has had his stints in sporting and filmography as follows:
Sporting career
Source: UGC
- 2004: Summer Paralympics in Athens, where he emerged at third place in the overall T44 100-meter event with a record time of 21.97 seconds.
- 2005: Non-disabled South African Championships where he emerged at the sixth place in a 400-meter race.
- 2006: 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships where he won gold in the 100, 200 and 400-meter events.
- 17th March 2007: South African Senior Athletics Championships in Durban, where he set a disability sports world record for the 400 meters in 46.56 seconds.
- April 2007: Nedbank Championships for the Physically Disabled competition taking place in Johannesburg, where became the world record holder of the 100 and 200 meters events after recording a time of 10.91 seconds and 21.58 seconds, respectively.
- 13th July 2007: Rome's Golden Gala in the 400-meter race where he finished in second place with a time of 46.90 seconds after Stefano Braciola, who emerged first with 46.72 seconds.
- 15th July 2007: Norwich Union British Grand Prix at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, where he emerged at the seventh position with a record time of 47.65 seconds. Unfortunately, he was disqualified for running outside his lane.
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Acting career
Other than taking part in sporting activities, Oscar has also starred in several films. Here is the list of Oscar Pistorius movies:
- 2010: He starred on L'isola dei famosi, an Italian version of the Celebrity Survivor.
- 7th January 2012: He appeared as a special guest on Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars that took place in Auditorium Rai in Rome.
- 9th October 2012: He appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- Piers Morgan Tonight
- Larry King Now
Family
Oscar was brought up in a Christian home by his parents, together with his siblings. His father, Henk Pistorius, worked as a businessman, but there are no details about his mother's work. Oscar Pistorius's parents divorced while he was six years. The separation created a strained relationship between Oscar and his father. On the other hand, his mother, Sheila Pistorius, died when he was 15 years due to drug complications after undergoing hysterectomy.
Leonard is the middle child among three siblings. He has an elder brother who goes by the name Carl and a younger sister named Aimee. His family was prominent in South Africa, and they had a middle-class lifestyle.
Death and murder charges
In February 2013, the track star was all over the headlines. Oscar Pistorius girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was found dead at his home in Pretoria, South Africa.
The police reported that the model was shot dead on the morning of 14th February 2013 with wounds of the bullet on one arm and on her head. Oscar was named the main suspect of the murder. During a hearing at the Magistrate Court in Pretoria on 19th February 2013, Oscar admitted to unintentionally shooting Reeva.
Pistorius went ahead to say that he had mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder in the bathroom and therefore shot her through the locked bathroom door. Subsequently, he was faced with the charges of premeditated murder.
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Oscar Pistorius trial
Source: UGC
The trial began on 3rd March 2014. He was charged with premeditated murder and two other separate gun indictments from occurrences that were not related to his girlfriend’s death. He pleaded not guilty in all these charges, claiming that he was frightened because of his vulnerable state of mind without his prosthetic legs.
After a few weeks of recess, Oscar Pistorius lawyer asked a psychiatrist to offer his testimony stating that Oscar was suffering from a generalized anxiety disorder. After a full mental examination done by a team of psychiatrists, it was discovered that he was not suffering from any anxiety disorders. The trial resumed and went on for weeks as the two sides were presenting their arguments.
On 11th September 2014, Oscar was declared not guilty of premeditated murder but was found guilty of culpable homicide. He was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in October 2014. On 19th October 2015, he was released and placed under correctional supervision and house arrest for four years. Reeva’s mother opted to forgive him so that she could move own with her life. Here are her words:
I didn’t want him to be thrown in jail and be suffering because I don’t wish suffering on anyone, and that’s not going to bring Reeva back, stated the speech.
Barry Roux admits defeat
Barry, the defense lawyer for Oscar, reportedly admitted that he was going to lose during one of the court's hearings in Bloemfontein. The statement came up as he was having a conversation with Gerrie Nel, the state prosecutor, after presenting their arguments.
Awards and nominations
Throughout his sporting career, Pistorius has had numerous awards and achievements due to his exemplary skills. Here is the breakdown of Oscar Pistorius awards:
Disability sports events
- 4th April 2007: Nedbank Championships for the Physically Disabled Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa (gold)
- 17th to 28th September 2004: 2004 Summer Paralympics Athens, Greece (bronze)
- 9th September 2008: 2008 Summer Paralympics Beijing, People's Republic of China (gold)
- 15th May 2005: 2005 Visa Paralympic World Cup Manchester, England, United Kingdom (gold)
- 5th September 2006: 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships Assen, Netherlands (gold)
- 26th January 2011: 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships Christchurch, New Zealand (silver)
- 6th June 2008: Sportfest Duisburg, Germany (gold)
- 1st June 2008: Dutch Open National Championships Emmeloord, Netherlands (gold)
- 2nd September 2012: 2012 Summer Paralympics London, England, United Kingdom (silver)
- 5th April 2007: Nedbank Championships for the Physically Disabled Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa (gold)
- 13th September 2008: 2008 Summer Paralympics Beijing, People's Republic of China (gold)
- 15th June 2008: German Open National Championships Berlin, Germany (gold)
- 8th September 2006: 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships Assen, Netherlands (gold)
- 24th January 2011: 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships Christchurch, New Zealand (gold)
- 17th to 28th September 2004: 2004 Summer Paralympics Athens, Greece (gold)
- 15th May 2005: 2005 Visa Paralympic World Cup Manchester, England, United Kingdom (gold)
- 31st May 2008: Dutch Open National Championships Emmeloord, Netherlands (gold)
- 8th September 2012: 2012 Summer Paralympics London, England, United Kingdom (gold)
- 16th September 2012: 2008 Summer Paralympics, People's Republic of China (gold)
- 1st June 2008: Dutch Open National Championships Emmeloord, Netherlands (gold)
- 29th January 2011: 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships Christchurch, New Zealand (gold)
- 4th September 2006: 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships, Netherlands (gold)
- 5th September 2012: 2012 Summer Paralympics London, England, United Kingdom (gold)
- 29th January 2011: 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships Christchurch, New Zealand (gold)
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Non-disabled sports events
Source: UGC
- 19th July 2011: Meeting Internazionale di Atletica Sports Solidarity Lignano, Italy (first place )
- 4th August 2012: 2012 Summer Olympics London, United Kingdom (16th position)
- 29th June 2012: 2012 African Championships in Athletics Porto-Novo, Benin (silver)
- 17th March 2007: 2007 Senior South African National Championships Durban, South Africa (silver)
- 1st September 2011: 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics Daegu, South Korea (silver)
- 1st July 2012: 2012 African Championships in Athletics Porto-Novo, Benin (silver)
Other accolades
- 2006: Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze (OIB) by then President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki
- 2007: BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award
- 2008: He appeared on the Time 100-Time magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people under the Heroes and Pioneers section.
- 2012: Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Net worth
Before his jail term, the track star had a successful career, which earned him numerous awards and a huge income. As of 2020, his net worth stands at $50,000.
Where is Oscar Pistorius now?
Ever since his sentencing, many people have been curious to find out the whereabouts of Oscar. After the state appealed for a longer sentence for the victim, the Supreme Court of Appeal increased his term to a period of 15 years.
Oscar Pistorius latest news indicates that he has found a new purpose while still in prison. Oscar Pistorius 2020 activities involve leading a Bible study and prayer group and harvesting vegetables.
FAQs
The following are the most asked questions about the sports personality:
How many years did Oscar Pistorius get?
Seventeen months after Oscar was sentenced for an imprisonment of 6 years, the Court of Appeal doubled his term to a whopping 13years and five months, making the total imprisonment period 15 years.
What happened to Oscar Pistorius?
On 14th February 2013, Oscar shot his girlfriend, Steenkamp Reeva, in his home in Pretoria, South Africa. In 2014, he was found not guilty of premeditated murder but was guilty of culpable homicide.
How much is Oscar Pistorius worth?
During his sporting career days, Pistorius earned huge sums of money. However, much of the money was used during the court proceedings. At the moment, his net worth is around $50,000.
Where does Oscar Pistorius live?
At the moment, Oscar Pistorius is still serving his jail term.
Oscar Pistorius is a former sprint runner who has done exceedingly well despite his physical condition. He endured amputation at infancy, but that did not hinder him from taking up and being actively involved in sports.
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Source: Briefly News
