Oscar Pistorius on the fateful morning of Valentine’s Day 2013 at his Pretoria home after Reeva Steenkamp was shot and killed. A file photo of the couple at the Feather Awards at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg; and Steeknkamp's Valentine's card and gift to the former Paralympian. Photos: South African Police Services (Saps) and AFP
Just more than a decade ago, Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius gunned down his model girlfriend through the locked bathroom door of his Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
In a real-life drama which gripped the world, Pistorius’s world of fame, fortune and fast cars came crashing down around him when he was jailed in 2014 for the murder of the 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp.
A source close to Pistorius told Netwerk24 on the eve of Valentine’s Day that it would be a day filled with “many tears” as “things have not been getting any easier” for the athlete, “especially on Valentine’s Day”.
The 37-year-old Pistorius has not been seen in public since his release on parole from Atteridgeville Correctional Centre on 5 January 2024, after serving almost nine years of his 13-years and five-months sentence.
He was released into the custody of his uncle Arnold Pistorius on whose posh Waterkloof estate he has been living in his very own fortified “Oscar cottage”.
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Pistorius has to reside with his property tycoon uncle until December 2029 when he has served his full term of punishment.
Another source also told the Mail Online that he is suffering from anxiety and has been spending most of his time in his bedroom, reading his Bible, playing video games and watching Premier League football.
Steenkamp, the model and law graduate who dated the elite runner for three months – was staying overnight at his home in Silver Lakes where she gave him a Valentine’s present and card hours before her tragic death.
She was, however, killed in the early hours on Valentine’s Day before Pistorius opened his gift and read his card.
According to the BBC, the athlete shared in court that he only opened the card on Steenkamp’s birthday, in August 2013.
During his gruelling trial in 2014, Pistorius unwrapped his Valentine’s gift, a frame filled with photos of the couple. He also opened his card and read its message in court while choking back tears:
“Roses are red, violets are blue. I think today is a good day to tell you that… I love you.”
The Sun reported that the athlete told the court that he had not bought a card or a gift for his girlfriend.
Nicknamed “Blade Runner” for his futuristic carbon-fibre running blades, Pistorius famously made history at the 2012 London Olympics, where he was the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes.
According to the Mail Online report, his legs have shrunk after years of being inactive in prison.
The former Paralympian’s agent, Peet van Zyl, told Netwerk24 that Pistorius – who is rumoured to be “overweight” and chain-smoking following his time behind bars – will soon start training again.
“It will only be to get fit again, and not to compete again as an athlete though.”
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