Yesterday was the bail hearing for Oscar Pistorius in the Magistrates Court in Pretoria, South Africa. Mr. Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steempkamp, on St. Valentine’s Day. The tragedy of an event like this cannot be overstated, and our hearts go out to both families.
Initial assessments do not look good. The prosecution claims that Mr. Pistorius fired four shots through a bathroom door after a domestic dispute, killing Ms. Steemkamp. The one-time South African Olympian claims that he thought there had been a break-in, and did not know Ms. Steemkamp was on the other side of the door.
There are many topics that arise out of this tragedy – such as the continued problems of violence against women and gun control. But I want to talk about a different aspect of the tragedy. I want to talk about the loss of a hero.
Prior to the sad events of February 14, 2013, Mr. Pistorius was best known for being the first man to compete in the Olympic games without legs, competing in the 400 meter run on prosthetic running blades. Mr. Pistorius’ life got off to a rought start when he was born with fibular hemimelia, essentially meaning he did not have fibular bones in his lower legs. This led to both legs being amputated at age 11 months. He was, therefore, born with what looked like very poor prospects for his future life. Nevertheless, he made history when he competed at the Olympic games in 2012. He did not win any medals, but he was set to be forever cemented in our memories nonetheless. I certainly remember watching him run as one of the most moving moments of the 2012 Olympic games. It was the type of moment you wanted to be able to tell your kids about. The type of moment you pointed at and said: “see, anything really is possible.”
What Oscar Pistorius really was, then, was a shining example of the ways in which humanity could triumph over seemingly insurmountable obstacles. In a world consumed by culture wars, poverty, and oppressive governments, Mr. Pistorius was proof that you could be born without legs, and still become an Olympic athlete. But that will all be overshadowed by this tragic death. As one of my colleagues so eloquently put it: “The world already has too few heroes, and it just lost another one.”
Our prayers go out to everyone involved.
Daniel P. Scholfield
Prerna Rao
A New Type of Ink 