Why did Oscar Pistorius lose his legs? A look at the birth defect that changed former Paralympian’s life as he is granted parole 10 years after shooting girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

1986

Oscar Pistorius was born without a fibula in one of his lower legs, both of which were amputated below the knee when he was eleven months old. Six months later he learned to walk on fiberglass spikes.

2003

Pistorius has started sprint training to help rehabilitate his knee after injuring it in rugby.

2004

The athlete wins his first Paralympic gold as he races to victory in the Athens 200m. He also won a bronze medal in the 100 meters.

2008

Pistorius wins three gold medals in Beijing – in the 100, 200 and 400 meters, setting a world record.

The same year he is banned from able-bodied competitions because the IAAF council says his prosthetics give him an unfair advantage.

2012

Becomes the first double amputee to compete in the Olympic Games and reach the semi-finals. His team reached the final in the 4×400 relay, but did not win any medals.

In the same year he won gold twice at the Paralympic Games.

2013

February 14 – Pistorius arrested at his Pretoria home after shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

February 15 – Pistorius appears in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court, where he breaks down in tears as prosecutors announce they plan to pursue a charge of first-degree murder.

Pistorius breaks down in tears as he is charged and denies murder ‘in the strongest terms’.

February 19 – Reeva Steenkamp’s funeral takes place in Port Elizabeth. Pistorius will appear in court on the first day of his bail hearing. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel says Pistorius fired four shots through a bathroom door, hitting Steenkamp three times. His defense read a statement from Pistorius in which he said he thought Steenkamp was an intruder.

Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp arrive for an awards ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa

February 21: Global sportswear manufacturer Nike suspends its sponsorship contract with the athlete.

August 19 – The day Steenkamp would have turned 30, Pistorius appears before Magistrate Desmond Nair of the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court to have the state’s charges brought against him.

He is charged with first-degree murder and possession of illegal ammunition. The state publishes its list of 107 possible witnesses.

2014

February 14 – On the anniversary of Steenkamp’s death, Pistorius posts a tribute to her on his official website, saying: “No words can adequately express my feelings about the devastating accident that has caused so much sorrow to all who truly loved – and still loves Reeva.’

March 3 – Oscar Pistorius pleads not guilty in court to murder and three weapons charges.

Later, neighbor Michelle Burger, the first witness called by the prosecution, tells the court she heard “blood-curdling” screams before the sound of four gunshots the night the Olympian killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

March 10 – Pistorius vomits repeatedly in the dock as he hears graphic details of the injuries suffered by the girlfriend he fatally shot.

April 8 – Pistorius bursts into tears and cries as he describes how he shot girlfriend Ms Steenkamp, ​​forcing the court to adjourn.

April 9 – Pistorius gives evidence for a third day, telling how his girlfriend ‘died while I was holding her’, describing how he put his fingers in her mouth to help her breathe and put his hand on her hip to try to stop bleeding from one of the many gunshot wounds.

June 30 – After a month’s break, the murder trial resumes as mental health experts say Pistorius was not suffering from mental illness when he killed girlfriend Ms Steenkamp.

Pistorius covers his eyes as his late girlfriend’s father testifies before the Pretoria High Court on June 14, 2016

September 12 – Pistorius is found GUILTY of the manslaughter of Steenkamp. Also found guilty of a firearms charge for firing a gun in a restaurant.

October 21 – Pistorius sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison, with three years suspended for firearms offences.

2015

Mar 13 – A bid to block prosecutors from appealing a verdict in favor of a murder conviction is blocked

October 20 – Pistorius is allowed to leave prison after just a year to spend the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

December 3 – The Supreme Court convicts him of murder, saying his testimony was ‘shaky and untrue’.

December 8 – Pistorius is released on bail pending sentencing and remains under house arrest.

2016

March 2 – Pistorius, now 29, loses his latest attempt to appeal his murder conviction.

July 6 – He is sentenced to six years in prison for murder.

August 14 – South African media report Pistorius is on 24-hour suicide watch.

Pistorius leaves the Supreme Court in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2016

September 15 – Prosecutors say they will ask the Supreme Court for a harsher sentence for Pistorius, after describing the six-year term as “shockingly lenient.”

November 14 – Prison authorities say Pistorius has been transferred to a prison adapted for disabled prisoners, just outside Pretoria, to serve the remainder of his sentence.

2017

November 3 – The appeal court adjourns to consider its ruling after prosecutors argue Pistorius’ prison sentence is too short, while lawyers say the judge handed down a fair sentence.

November 24 – The High Court in Bloemfontein more than doubles Pistorius’ sentence from six years to thirteen years and five months.

2018

March 28 – South Africa’s highest court rejects Pistorius’ leave to appeal, ending the long legal battle over the killing.

2021

November 29 – Prison services say Pistorius has been temporarily transferred to a detention center in the southern city of Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, as part of his parole, after becoming eligible for parole a few months earlier after serving half of his had served his sentence.

2022

July 1 – Prison services say Pistorius has met Steenkamp’s parents as part of his rehabilitation process.

2023

March 31 – Pistorius is denied parole, with a South African judge ruling that he has served just six years – less than the ‘minimum detention period’ required to be eligible for parole.

November 24 – Pistorius’ second attempt at freedom is successful as he is told he can leave prison in early January 2024.